The Genius
by Sabriel Abhorsen
Summary: FINISHED! Um... this is a strange idea that I've been thinking about forever. It acts like those last few books never happened and the Animorphs are older and in high school. Rated for bad language.
1. Chapter One- Alanna

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, except for any characters I create i.e. Alanna.   
  
  
People are so stupid.  
I smiled so hard it hurt. Added the sweet, innocent look, and the little helpless nod. Play the idiot, play the idiot.  
I hate stupid people.  
"Are you ready for school today?" Mrs. Kesal asked, smiling down at me like I was going off to kindergarten for the first time.  
I really hate stupid people.  
"I'll be fine," I said. The big, tough high schooler that I was. Yeah. Uh-huh.  
I also hate my life.  
"Uh, can I use the car, Mrs. Kesal?" I asked hopefully. I could not deal with riding that fucking bus. Not today. She hesitated, and I swore under my breath.  
"Why not? It is you first day at a brand new school," she said, surprising me. I don't usually get surprised. It was a nice change. She tossed me the keys and I practically flew out the door before she could change her mind.  
Or worse, try to give me a hug.  
Ugh, why were foster parents so touchy-feely? I wasn't used to it. But it could've been worse.  
At least she wasn't a Controller.  
Do you know how many people die each year from car accidents? A lot. And why is that? Because most of them don't wear their seat belts, they don't look where they're going, or they're just plain dumb.   
I drive like a maniac, but at least I look where I'm going.  
Today's count- five honks, two finger, and one 'fuck you bitch'. It was going to be a good day.  
I walked into the school, my head high, like I was better than everyone else in the entire school.  
I was.  
They looked at me, stared at the new girl. I kept my eyes forward, not seeing them, not really. I listened to the whispers and memorized the voices from which they came. And I saw, without really seeing, exactly who all the popular kids were, all the nerds were, all the normal kids were. Saw the groups. Saw the couples making out, and noticed how one guy was looking at some other girl while he was doing so.  
I knew the entire school after being in it for all of ten seconds. I was getting slow in my old age.  
About half these people were Controllers.   
Yes, there's that pesky word again. Controller? What are those?  
And hey, who the hell are you, too?  
You wouldn't know me. Not unless I wanted you to and guess what? I don't. As for Controllers, they're all around you.  
You just need to learn how to look right. I mastered the art years ago.  
Then again, I'm a genius.  
Really. I am. Especially by human standards. Sheesh, I make Einstein look like a dung beetle.  
And I'm being modest here.  
BRING!!!!  
"Fucking bells," I said. I knew where my first class was exactly, even though this was my first time in the school. But I took my time anyway and I arrived fashionably late.  
"Class, this is Alanna. She's a new student and I hope you'll make her feel welcome."  
Crap, this teacher was annoying as hell. I took in the class in an instant.  
"You can sit next to Marco."  
A Hispanic dude grinned at me and I stared him down until the grin faded. And I was going easy on him.  
I've stared down Visser Three before and made him blanch. I could handle this guy.  
Of course, he was kind of cute though. Marco, not Visser Three. (Yuck!) Maybe I could give him a smile. But no, those muscles were tired. Curse you, Mrs. Kesal!  
You're probably confused now. It's okay, you're only human.  
And I am not.  
My real name is Alissan 337. Note the double threes. I'm a twin. And yes, that is a Yeerk name. But I'm no Controller.  
I'm an experiment gone wrong.   
It happened seventeen years ago. The Yeerks needed a new edge in the war. So the pooled together their scientists (who are as dumb as hell), who decided to get the Arn, genius with an amazing ability to manipulate genes, to make the perfect warrior. Strong, fast, powerful, and yet smart, clever, and even a little charismatic. Okay, I made the last one up. But you get the idea. They wanted someone who would be unstoppable on the battlefield, and yet be able to make great military strategies.   
But something went wrong.  
Very wrong.  
Instead of one perfect warrior, they got two help perfect ones. My twin brother- humanoid like me, with the same red hair and tall stature, but he can do anything physically. Like Superman, but he can't fly. Yet. His powers grow constantly. He can even regenerate at a tremendous speed, so he can hardly ever be injured.  
And me. The genius. Complete with the photographic memory and nonstop witty comments. Okay, no, I suck at jokes, but I can size up a situation in an instant and know how to react. My brain, however, doesn't like to take off days, and I have this… itch. To learn.   
We both lived together, with the Visser watching us, growing up together and training to defeat the Andalites one day.  
Until I betrayed the Yeerks. Now I have to live in a foster home, and they all think I'm dead.  
And I intend to keep it that way.   
"So…" Marco started to whisper to me. Sometimes I wish I had my brother's ears. I gave him a quick look and he smiled. "I could show you around, if you want."  
I did not need help, of course, but hey, you can't be completely rude your first day. Well, you can, of course, but-  
Anyway.  
"So, this is the fantastic gymnasium, complete with smelly socks and matching football players," he was saying after class, gesturing to the large gym. I didn't even bother to glance up. My eyes were on the rest of the hallway as I saw exactly how everyone around me greeted Marco with the usual 'Hey!' or 'Dude!' Obviously a people person, but these weren't his real friends, his close ones. Anyone could tell.   
"Hey, man," a new guy said. He was kind of big, and a little cute, but he had this deep serious expression on his face that made you wonder if he had ever smiled in his life. He glanced at me in surprise.  
"Oh, this is Alanna, the new girl," Marco introduced me. "Alanna, this is my bud, Jake."  
"Hey," he said, giving me a slow smile. Wow, it did not look right. This guy screamed serious, trustworthy. But then, you can't always judge on appearances.  
After all, I look human.  
"The… thing tomorrow," Jake said in a low voice to Marco. "It's on. You in?"  
Marco paled slightly and my curiosity captured me, despite myself. I was still trying to understand humans, and eavesdropping helped.  
"Yeah, whatever," he muttered, but all his light attitude, his cool, was gone. Like that. I was dying to know what was up but I shook myself. It was none of my business.  
That's how I had gotten myself here in the first place, by butting in.  
"It was nice to meet you, Alanna," Jake said.  
"Yeah, same here," I said raising an eyebrow at him.  
"Anyway, back to the tour," Marco said, bouncing back quickly. Humans were so weird. So different from any other species I have ever known. I understand the burning hunger of the Taxxons, the sweet simplicity of the Hork Bajir, the proud arrogance of the Andalites and the ruthlessness of the Yeerks.  
But humans still eluded me, and that bothered me. It bothered me because I hate not knowing, not understanding, but more than that, it bothered me because out of all the species and all the technology that made me, I am mostly human.  
And that bothers me more than anything.  
  
Okay, if you like this, you HAVE to review. Hell, tell me if you hate it! I don't care, just tell me! 


	2. Chapter Two- Alanna

Okay, here's some more. Same disclaimer as before. Tell me what you think! (Please!!)  
  
TWO MONTHS LATER  
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  
Scary saying, if you really think about it. If people had followed this advice, would Hitler be ruling the world right now?  
Sorry- got sidetracked. It's a side effect from having so many different thoughts flying around in your head at one time. If a Yeerk was ever inside my head, he'd probably go mad.  
It's a wonder I don't.  
"Look! There's a sale in Express! Oh, thirty percent off!"  
"The joy overwhelms me," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "I-I don't know if I can stand it. I think I'm going to break down with tears of-"  
"Shut up already!" Rachel said. "You're worse than Cassie here, and I thought that was impossible."  
"Hey!" Cassie said with a laugh.  
"I think the mall sucks out brain cells," I said. "It's the only possible explanation for why the people who spend the most time here are the dumbest."  
Rachel glared at me and I grinned wickedly.   
Friends. I have actual human friends. It's strange, really, and it gets to me sometimes. For one thing, I have to sometimes lower myself to thinking at their level. And of course, there's the fact that they could become Controllers.  
Correction- they would become Controllers one day. It was only a matter of time.  
Their ignorance astounded me, and I mean all humans, not just my new 'friends.' They were slowly being taken over, and nobody noticed. It was like some really bad old sci-fi movie.  
I can tell when someone's a Controller, in case you were wondering. Well, it's not totally failure proof, but it's got a 95% rate of accuracy. I can also tell when someone's lying most of the time. Humans aren't very good liars, to tell you the truth. Most tend to blink a lot, or smile too hard.  
I, however, have mastered my lying skills. I had to.  
"Hey there's Jake and- Marco," Rachel drawled, grinning at me. She thinks I have a crush on him.  
Okay, being friends with human is one thing, and it's a stretch. I was not ready to date one of them. Ick. But I played the part and blushed and snorted, shaking my head and hitting her arm, which just made her grin more.  
I thought I was going to be sick.  
The two boys weren't alone. With them were two other guys, about the same age, who I had never seen before. Rachel smiled at one of them. "Hey Tobias."  
"Hey, Rach. What's up?"  
"Oh, uh, this is Alanna," Cassie stepped in. "Alanna, this is Tobias and Phillip, Jake's cousin."  
"N-n-nice to meet you. Ooh."  
I smiled back and said all that right things, but in my head alarm bells were ringing like crazy. There was something not right about these two.  
"Where do you guys go to school?" I asked coolly, staring them down.   
"Uh, Phillip's from out of town, and…" Jake stumbled over his words and I gave him an innocent, yet sharp, look.  
"Tobias goes to a fancy private school," Marco butted in. "Isn't that right, Tobias?"  
"Yeah, yeah," he said. He didn't smile at me. He didn't look like he could smile, or anything for that matter. He made all the right sounds but his face remained constantly passive. It wasn't right. Humans as a rule communicate through their facial expressions, and here was someone who seemed to have none.  
"We went to Radio Shack. Shhh-aaack," Phillip said. I glanced at him. Was he dumb or did he have a stutter of some kind? Neither explanation seemed to fit him. Okay, I could almost believe he was Jake's cousin. They looked a little alike. Too bad Jake had a screaming 'I'm lying!' feel about him. About both guys. If pretty boy Tobias was from a private school, I'm part duck. You had to have money for a private school, and everything about him told me that he was used to not having a lot of money. Humans tend to judge people by their wealth, and the poorer people usually have that feel of being judged about them.  
Man, the air reeked with lies. But I played along, like the good little girl I was.  
"That's cool," I said with a perfectly believable smile. "I like Radio Shack. In fact, I was just about to suggest we go there."  
"But Express-!" Rachel gasped, horrified. I laughed.  
We began to talk about something. I played along, but right away I could tell I was the third wheel. The extra, out of place person. These people worked hard to seem like they were only casual acquaintances, but I knew better. These were close friends, close friends with a secret.  
A secret I intended to find out. Little happens without my knowledge, and I'd be damned if a couple of humans were going to try to keep me in the dark. 


	3. Chapter Three- Marco

MARCO  
She was so hot.  
And smart too! How often do you get that lucky? Most hot girls are brain dead, with the exception of Rachel, who's just plain psycho.   
And she so wanted me.  
"I've got to go," Alanna said, not even bothering to look at her watch. She rarely did, but she always seemed to know what time it was. Kind of like Ax, only on her it was so much cooler. "The Kesals like me back for 'dinner time'." She made a face, and started to move towards the exit. "It was nice meeting you guys," she said to Ax and Bird-boy, but she was so waving good-bye to me.  
"You think I should ask her out?" I said the moment she disappeared.  
I expected to be greeted by enthusiasm. After all, she was pretty good friends with Cassie and Rachel, and it was obvious that everyone liked her.  
"She could be- you know," Jake said slowly.  
"She's not," I snapped.  
"How can you tell?" Rachel said pointedly.  
"You're her friend- you think she is?" I asked her.  
"We don't know," Cassie said. She looked concerned. "You can never really tell, Marco, you know that. None of us want her to be a-" she lowered her voice, "Controller, but you can never be too sure."  
"Me and Ax can keep an eye on her for a couple of days," Tobias said. I bristled. Why did he always get to watch my potential girlfriends as they ate, drank, walked, talked-  
Undressed…  
"I'll help," I said automatically.  
Rachel made a rude noise. " So you can watch her change."  
I feigned insult. "Is that what you think of me? I just want to make sure the object of my affection is purely human."  
"She seemed nice, ice," Ax said. "But I must wonder- do most humans act that way?"  
"What do you mean?" Cassie asked.  
"She was just so… quick. Ick, ick. So… I do not know. Perhaps it was just my imagination."  
"She's smart," I bragged.   
Tobias shook his head. "Funny, I would've thought she was dumb, if she was attracted to you."  
I glared at him. "Aren't you supposed to be in a tree somewhere, serenading your sweet Warrior Princess with bird song?"  
Rachel flushed deeply, hitting me on the arm. Hard. "Ow," I whined. "That wasn't nice."  
"We'll have time to argue about Alanna later," Jake cut in. I made a face. Arguing was better than the alternative. "You remember what Erek told us. The Yeerks have some kind of new fighter. Something stronger than the Hork-Bajir and more dangerous."  
"Erek didn't help us much," I said. "It's top secret, so not even he gets to know what's going on."  
"So it has to be big," Rachel said. "I say we go in and crush whatever it is, before it gets us."  
"Big surprise," I muttered.  
"Whatever we do, we have to do it quick," Jake said, glancing around and lowering his voice. "There's a big Sharing meeting tomorrow night, and the Visser will be there. With whatever it is. I'd say we need a spy mission."  
I groaned. Spy missions only meant one thing- we were going as bugs. 


	4. Chapter Four- Alanna

ALANNA  
"Some say the world will end in fire-"  
I peered at the computer through my glasses, fingers flying as I typed. It was right after dinner, and I was alone for once. It seemed that everyone else had something to do. Oh, bliss. I was hacking into some very secret sites. There was something about those two guys that set me teeth on edge. I had hacked into these sites before, but that had just been for fun. And when I had 'accidentally' transferred some millions a known actress had in her bank account to a charity in a third world country, that was fun too.  
Oh come on. It wasn't like she was going to miss it.  
"Some say in ice."  
Bingo.  
I smiled. Quoting Robert Frost helps me think straight. Not that I would ever, EVER tell anyone that. Back at home-  
Home? Home? HOME?  
Back with the Yeerks, none of them had understood me, the genius in their mists. Most geniuses are misunderstood, of course. And I must admit, my humanness caused me to have what can only be called 'geek-like' tendencies.  
So sad, I know.  
"What the hell?" I said. 'Phillip' did not exist. Period. There was nothing on the guy. A complete lack of being. And when I traced back Jake's entire family line, there was no such cousin.  
"Well, well, well…" I said. I tend to talk to myself sometimes- it's a bad habit. And Tobias? I was right- he was pretty poor. Dead dad, crazy mom, and a couple of assholes for relatives who were supposed to be caring for him. But it seemed that he was a missing person now.  
"Fuck," I said, shutting off the computer. What did this mean? I went upstairs to the bedroom I shared with two other foster kids. I paced the room silently, trying to think.  
Who were these people? And why- why did it matter to me so much?  
Was I losing my mind again? It had happened once before. I think. It's hard to tell, really. But insanity is my only plea for what I did. I had betrayed the Yeerks- the only thing I had for a family. Or a species. But why, why? I ground my teeth, pausing in my pacing as I recalled the course of events that had led to my downfall.  
We had never really gotten along. How could we? We were so different. He had the things I wanted, and I had what he wanted. Of course we hated each other, but we had stuck together, two outcasts in the universe.  
My brother, Alexxen 337, liked being praised. He liked being the center of attention and of course, he was. Oh look at me, I can lift a car. Oh, watch me get hit by a Dracon beam and instantly heal. Me, me, me.  
He wasn't dumb, but he didn't even compare to me. However, no one seemed to care as I mapped the human, Andalite, and Yeerk genome, learned every single language in the galaxy to date, and was unbeatable at chess. (I like chess.) And I wanted to be the warrior, the fighter, the strong one.  
Especially when Visser Three-  
Stop it!  
I gasped, shaking my head, trembling all over. Don't think about it, it's over, it's over-  
There was a bird at the window.  
Two hawks, to be exact. A red-tailed hawk and an osprey. I stood in the middle of my room and I stared back at them, my eyes flashing. They stared back. My arms tightened. Hawks shouldn't be here, in the middle of a nice neighborhood. Hawks needed woods, needed to hunt. And these two types of birds never flew together.  
These were no ordinary hawks.  
I stormed over to the window and pulled the curtains shut. "I will not be threatened and I will not be watched," I said angrily, even though the windows were closed and they couldn't hear. Whoever- whatever- they were. But they couldn't see me either, and that was the important thing.  
"I need to get out of this house," I said, rubbing my arms. Why was it suddenly so cold in here? I jogged down the stairs-  
And almost ran into Mr. Kesal. I jerked back slightly, startled. He smiled his 'fatherly' smile at me.  
"Hey, Alanna!"  
Jamie and Pete burst into the room, fighting. "It's mine!"  
"No, mine! Mr. Kesal…" Pete whined. They were fighting over a new hot wheels car. I rolled my eyes. As foster kids, they didn't have many toys, but both boys had their own little cars and were always fighting over them.  
"Play nice," Mr. Kesal said, still looking at me. I met his gaze coolly, trying to give off a feeling of confidence. Was it working?  
"There's a big Sharing meeting tomorrow night Alanna," he said, " and I was thinking the entire family could come! Doesn't that sound like fun?"  
I wanted to gag. First, he called us a 'family'. Never in hell, dude. And second, the Sharing was a front for Controllers.  
Mr. Kesal was a Controller. So were a couple of the kids here.  
I was lucky, I knew. Because me and my brother were top secret, no one knew about us so no Controller would be able to recognize me for what I was. And those who did know about me thought I was dead.  
I should be.  
Just as I was about to find a polite way to tell Mr. Kesal that I would rather rot in hell than go to a fucking Sharing meeting, he continued talking. "Mr. Visser himself is going to be there, with his son."  
I nearly choked on my own shock. The Visser? And Alexxen? In public?   
Oh. My. God.  
Mr. Kesal was still talking, but I was ignoring the idiot Controller. This was it. Visser Three was finally going public with Alexxen. His final steps to destroying the Andalite bandits were coming in place. If Alexxen was stronger than when I had last seen him, which was probably true, then nothing would be able to stop him.  
The earth was going to the Yeerks.  
What happened next can only be classified as another fit of insanity. I looked up at Mr. Kesal and I said, "That sounds great. I'd love to go."  
Already my mind was planning.  
  
I NEED MORE REVIEWS!! Thank you ALL who have already done so. What do you think? Is the plot logical? (Oh wait, this is Animorphs, of course not!) Tell me what you think. 


	5. Chapter Five- Tobias

Okay, I'm sorry, but () mean thought speech. It wouldn't work the other way. (Stupid computers.) I might use 'em the regular way too, so sorry if it gets confusing.   
  
TOBIAS  
I was flying cover, as usual. I caught a thermal over the gathered Sharing members, scanning the crowd. There was Jake as himself with his family, and Cassie was with them. It was kind of sad, really. One of their few 'real' dates in public, and they were just there as spies.  
Well, it was more than what Rachel and I had.  
Rachel, Ax and Marco were also around, but in fly morph. The plan was that they would find the Visser, directed by me, of course, and follow him in to check things out. Jake and Cassie would see if they could find anything out the old-fashioned way- by asking around. Erek was pretty sure whatever the new thing was, it would look human.  
Which kind of scared me. What were we dealing with anyway? Could it morph too? Had the Yeerks finally figured out the technology?  
If so, we were as good as dead.  
(Okay, I don't see him,) I said. (Where are you guys?)  
(I think we're by a trash can. Or something, because MAN, I just have this urge to eat some shit.)  
(That's pleasant, Marco,) Rachel sneered. (Can you imagine what would happen if Alanna saw you now?)  
(I believe the human term she might use would be 'yuck',) Ax said helpfully.  
I landed in a nearby tree. (Guys, just wait. Visser Three should be arriving any- Fuck!)  
(What is it?)  
I couldn't believe it. It was Alanna! There was no mistaking that long red hair, or that clever smile… If I had been human I would've shuddered. I was still creeped out by the way she had closed the curtains on Ax and me when we had peeked into her room. It was almost as if she knew we were there.  
I was probably just being paranoid. More likely she was just getting ready to change clothes or something.  
Too bad she had to close the curtains then…  
Tobias! I shook myself. Ok, this was Marco's potential girlfriend, not to mention a potential Yeerk, and besides, what about Rachel? Rachel was easily prettier than Alanna.  
But I've always had a thing for red heads.  
(Tobias, are you okay?) Rachel asked. She sounded concerned and I felt like the world's biggest asshole.  
(Uh, yeah, yeah. Just thought I saw something.)  
And now I was lying. Why? What was wrong with me?  
I took the risk and flew in closer to her. She didn't seem to notice, in fact she seemed nervous, which was strange. She had seemed so calm and in control yesterday.  
Alanna was sitting with a group of other people in the back. Was this her family? Impossible- there were too many of them, and besides, they weren't all the same ethnic group.   
"We're going to talk to some people we know," the man there said. "Why don't you guys go off and talk to someone. This is a great place for people all your ages."  
They all scampered off except Alanna. The man looked at her and smiled. "Are you okay, Alanna?"  
"Yeah, fine, Mr. Kesal," she said, smiling back. But her smile faded as he left with a woman I guessed was his wife. She muttered something under her breath and looked around.  
"Welcome back, kid," she said to herself, playing with her hands. "Welcome back to hell."  
I was confused. What was she talking about?  
And at the same time, I felt appeased. I talked to myself too. It was nice to think that there was someone as strange as me out there. Well, not quite as strange. I doubted she had an Andalite as a father.   
Before I could fantasize about Alanna more, he showed up.  
(Shit! Guys, he's here!) I yelled, tearing myself away from Alanna. Stupid, stupid! I was supposed to be watching for him and instead I watch some girl. Damn it!   
The Visser was in his human form, followed by his usual array of guards. As always, there was this… dark feeling about him. Even the Controllers knew it, and I watched as some people quickly tried to become indiscrete.  
There was a guy with him.  
He was about our age, I'd say, with red hair and an arrogant face. There was something about him that I didn't really like. And he looked… a little familiar.  
(Tobias, where is he?) Rachel asked. I scanned the crowd for the flies.   
(Okay, he's walking past you right about… now! Do you see him?)  
(Got him!) I saw three flies launch towards him. I relaxed about half an inch. Something was going on, something big. Erek had been right. We were up against something strong, I could just tell by the smug expression on the Visser's face. He no longer seemed to scan the view for any animals that could be 'Andalite bandits'. He was pretty sure of himself. And I suddenly noticed something else.  
Alanna was gone.  
  
MORE REVIEWS! I need them to live! To function! (To be motivated to write more.) Be honest- does Tobias feel OOC here? 


	6. Chapter Six- Alanna

Fuck!  
Fuckfuckfuck!  
I staggered away from the crowd, taking big, deep breaths, struggling to keep my cool. I tended to get the chills when I was scared.  
And I had forgotten how much he scared me.  
Fuck.  
What was I doing here? It was like I was wearing a big neon sign saying- I'm here! Come get me and finish me off!  
And I was supposed to be the smart one.  
Fuck!  
Calm down. Calm down. Calm. Down.  
He hadn't seen me. Neither had my stupid ass brother, with all his eagle vision. They weren't looking for me- they thought I was dead, after all.  
There was still time to get out of this alive.  
And it wasn't as if they could make me a Controller. I had long ago protected myself from that kind of threat. I reached out and touched my ear. It still gave me the creeps, even after all these years.  
You see, I altered my DNA to prevent it from happening.  
It wasn't as hard as it sounds. Actually, the hard part was keeping it quiet. I had to practically threaten some of the Arn- before they were all destroyed, of course- to help me. Not that they minded that much. Anything that could piss Visser Three off is okay by them.  
Oh, and it did, when he finally found out. When I … betrayed them, making me a Controller had been the first plan. I wasn't shocked because I had never trusted the asshole, but hearing it in actual words…  
Fuck again.  
All I had to do was leave. I could say I got sick. I did feel nauseous.   
"Hey, Alanna!"  
I swallowed hard, but I remained calm. I recognized the voice easily. It was just Kelly, one of the little girls in the foster home. I smiled down at her. She worships me, and likes following me around. For obvious reasons, right?  
Okay, you got me. I don't know why either.  
"What's up, kid?" I asked.  
She grinned. "Guess what?" she bubbled. She never just talked, she was always bouncing and grinning. It was enough to give you a headache.  
Kelly always asks me that because I can usually guess it. I did not feel like guessing, so I said, "What?"  
She seemed disappointed but she said, "Mr. Kesal's going to let ALL of us become FULL members! Even me! We'll both be FULL Sharing members together! Isn't that so cool?"  
FUCK!  
I just smiled and nodded. I'd be damned if I was going to be a full fucking member, but she didn't need to hear me say that.  
"Actually, I'm not feeling that well," I said. I touched my throat and made a face. "Can you tell Mr. Kesal that I'm going to go home."  
She beamed, glad to do me a favor and skipped off.  
Well, I was safe, for the moment. Too bad I'd have to find a new foster home. That was annoying, but I really-  
Why did I feel so bad? Was I really sick?  
It was none of my concern. Why should I care if the Yeerks take a couple of foster kids, so long as I stayed free? It wasn't like I liked Kelly's constant attention…  
Oh, dear.  
"None of my business," I said, turning to walk away from the meeting. I could take the bus home, and there-  
None of my business. They would've taken Kelly eventually anyway, wouldn't they? She was just a human, for crying out loud, they all were?  
And who really cared about-  
I swallowed hard. I was shaking. What was wrong with me? I had grown up with the Yeerks, I had seen them take countless humans and Hork-Bajir against their will. Why should I start caring now?   
It wasn't like I was one of them, damn it!  
I kept walking, my eyes straight ahead. I would not look back, I would not feel guilty. Why should I? I wasn't doing anything to them.  
I certainly wasn't helping them.  
I stopped. It had been years since I had run away from the Yeerks. How long would I be safe in a world where they were growing, multiplying?  
And if Alexxen was going public…  
They would find me eventually. And he would kill me, like he had tried to before. They would never take me back, I knew that.  
What I had done was unforgivable.  
How do you stay neutral in a war where both sides have reason to hate you? No matter who won- and I knew it would be the Yeerks- I was screwed. I had helped the Yeerks and then I had betrayed them.  
I had to pick a side. A fucking side.  
"Oh, shit!" I said, turning around. Damn it maybe I wasn't human, but I was still vulnerable.  
Those who had once been my friends were now my enemies, those who had once been my family would come to kill me, no matter what.  
But not if I killed them first.  
  
Tell me what you think about this! I tried to make it interesting!!   
Thank you all who took the time to review. Oh and Anigurl88? You caught me, I did read (and worship) the Lioness Quartet. Ahh! 


	7. Chapter Seven- Rachel

RACHEL  
We had him!  
We hovered around him as he walked into the big Sharing building and through several doors marked 'FULL MEMBERS ONLY'.  
Interesting.  
(What are they up to?) Marco wondered out loud.  
(Shut up and maybe we'll be able to hear something,) I hissed. We were in a large room, filled with lots of people. That much I could tell, but so far, nobody was saying anything interesting.   
(We have been in morph for about thirty-five of your minutes,) Ax said.   
(Which leaves us an hour and a half to find out any information about this new dude of Erek's,) I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. (Cool.)  
(Yeah, cool,) Marco snorted. (Just what I was thinking.)  
(We're heading downwards,) Ax said. (To the Yeerk pool perhaps?)  
(Oh, shit, you think so? Are we going to be able to get out in time to demorph? I'm so not being stuck as a fly.)  
(Stop complaining, Marco,) I said.  
(Oh, Rachel, you get so hot when you order me around like that. Does Bird-boy like it like that? Does he let you tie him up when-)  
(Shut the fuck up!)  
I was just about to turn around and kick his scrawny fly ass when someone began to talk.  
"Fellow, Yeerks, the time has come!"  
(Is that the Visser?)  
"No longer will we submit to these Andalite raids, and to cower here in hiding. It's time to take this planet!"  
(That's a yes.)  
(Shut up!)  
There were several cheers from the spectators. They liked what they heard.  
"Some of you may ask how I plan on doing this," the Visser said, his voice dropping to a suddenly threatening tone. "Seeing as those filthy Andalites have managed to escape every time I've had my hands on them." There was a dangerous silence. I could practically hear the Visser grinding his teeth. "We've got a new weapon," he said finally. "Something that none of the Andalites can stand a chance against. Not even-" there was a slight choking noise- "Not even Beast Elfangor would've lasted five minutes against our new warrior."  
(What?) Ax cried, furious.   
(Ax, cool it,) I hissed, even though I was angry too. Did he really think we would be that easy to get rid of?  
"But before I reveal him to you, we must continue with our plans for this evening. Everything will continue as planned, and nothing I to go wrong. Do you hear me? Nothing.   
"This is the biggest gathering of non-Controllers that the Sharing has had in a long time. Every single human is to have one of our own in their heads by the end of the evening. Do you hear me? Every single one."  
My heart stopped. (We can't let them do that! Jake and Cassie are out there, not to mention Jake's entire family and-)  
(And at least a hundred others,) Marco finished.   
(We should inform Prince Jake,) Ax said.  
(And then- we fight,) I said.   
(Oh, man…) Marco moaned. I ignored him.   
I was ready.  
  
  
Sorry this one's a bit short- and not very good. I'll do better, I promise! In the meantime- I need more REVIEWS!! Thanks to all who have already done so, especially those with good comments. (Kidding- I LOVE all comments!!) 


	8. Chapter Eight- Cassie

CASSIE  
"Jake?"  
He looked at me, distracted. I bit my lip nervously. Where were the others? We had lost contact with them after they had chased after Visser Three.   
"What-"  
I never got to finish my question. All of a sudden, a man came out into the middle of the area with a microphone.  
"Is everyone having a good time?" he yelled into the microphone. There was a unanimous 'yes' from the crowd, along with several cheers and whoops.   
"Good, good," he said when everyone had calmed down. "But now it's time for what you've all been waiting for. Are you ready?"  
"YEAH!"  
"Pumped?"  
"YEAH!"  
The man grinned, but I glanced nervously at Jake. "What is he talking about?" I whispered.  
He had that deep look to his face, the one he got when something was bothering him. "I don't know. Tom was talking about it- something big. That's why there's so many people here, but I'm not exactly sure what it is."  
"I don't like the sound of that."  
He smiled his slow smile at me, but I didn't have time to enjoy it. The man with the microphone suddenly said, "Let's all go into the Sharing building now. Slowly- no rushing, no pushing. This," he paused, with a sudden strange smile, "is going to be interesting."  
"Come on!" Tom said eagerly, grabbing us by the arms.   
"What's going on?" Jake asked.  
Tom grinned. "You'll see. It's big, trust me. In fact… it's life changing. You don't want to miss it."  
"Sounds like fun," Jake's father said with a laugh. He grabbed his wife's hand and they hurried after Tom.  
Jake and I were a little slower. "I don't trust this at all," I said. "Something's going on."  
"Where are the others?" Jake said, looking around in vain.   
We could only follow the crowd as they gathered into the building. I looked around and noticed a couple of big, tough looking men gathered around the outside of the crowd, making sure everyone got in.  
Making sure no one got away.  
(Jake! Cassie!)  
I jerked my head around, relieved to hear Rachel's 'voice.'   
(We're in deep shit, guys.)  
That didn't sound so good. My heart almost stopped as she told us everything they had overheard. I stared at Jake, looking for reassurance, but his face was impassive. I knew he would do anything in his power to keep his parents from being Controllers.  
"That's got to be what this is," he whispered into my ear. "We need to get out of here and into our battle morphs."  
That's what I was afraid of.  
We slid to the back of the group together. Jake grabbed my arm suddenly and pointed. "Bathrooms. As soon as you can, try to contact the others. I don't know where Tobias is, but I hope it's nearby." The girls' bathrooms and the boys' were on opposite ends of the room, so we moved apart.   
I pushed my way casually through the crowd, my heart pounding hard. This was risky, and Jake knew it, but we didn't have very many options. Would they even let us through, or were their guards there, too?  
"Cassie?"  
I jumped a little, startled. "Alanna!" I gasped. My stomach dropped like a stone. Was she a Controller?  
She gave me a sharp look, kind of un-Alanna-like, before dissolving into her usual smile. "You a member here?"  
"Oh, no, no." I said hastily, a little too hastily. "You?"  
She shook her head, keeping her eyes on me. "Do you have any idea what's going on, or am I just being stupid here?"  
I laughed too loudly. "Oh, I'm not sure what's going on either. Seems interesting, though."  
"You could call it that," she said. I bit my lip as I looked at her. Alanna was smart, but she didn't really know anything, did she? Not the truth, anyway. Alanna gave me a piercing look. "Be careful, Cassie. Something's going to happen."  
She disappeared into the crowd and I shook my head. It made me sad, almost, to think of my friend learning the truth about the invasion, becoming a Controller. She deserved to live in her little world, where everything made sense. It was a world I had once lived in.   
I slid into the bathroom with a new resolve. I wouldn't let my friend become a Controller.  
Ever.   
  
  
Well? What do you think? Good, bad, so-so... Again, thank you all who have written reviews already. Keep doing it and I'll keep writing! 


	9. Chapter Nine- Alanna

ALANNA  
Well, well, well, what have we here?  
I didn't look back at Cassie, but I kept my eyes forward, on the prize. It was rather easy to spot, all in all. Big door saying 'FULL MEMBERS ONLY' with a couple of big shot guards at the door, watching all the real humans mill around like cattle in a butcher shop. Clueless, with no idea of the danger they were in.  
I walked straight towards the door, ignoring the guards pointedly , and of course, they stopped. I glared up at them, trying to give off the confidence no one should have while looking at a guy twice my size.  
"Do you mind?" I said with a disgusted look.   
"You can't go in there, miss."  
Miss? I'll show you miss, you- "The Visser's expecting me, you worthless idiot. Do you really want to explain my delay to him?"  
Unless things had changed drastically since my departure, which wasn't likely, the guards were still stupid, they still feared Visser Three like the devil, and they expected their superiors to treat them like shit.  
When they quickly stepped aside to let me through, I decided that nothing had changed.  
It was almost too easy.  
I walked like the important officer I was supposed to be. They all walk the same- with the strut. You know, the kind guys get when they get to another base with some girl. Only way more obvious.  
I have mastered my strut.  
People avoided me as I walked down the stairs because of it. They recognized the strut. They did not like the strut. They feared the strut and what they knew it to mean.  
Yeerks aren't any smarter than humans. Both tend to accept things at face value, which is kind of ironic, seeing as the Yeerks work the way they do. But they take the easy way out, and the easy way is to avoid confrontation. The Yeerks are very good at that.  
Down, down, down….  
Into the bowls of hell. Otherwise known as the Yeerk Pool.  
I heard the screams, the pleas, the sobs… I struggled to keep my cool. It was so strange now, after being with free humans, to think of how the humans had to feel being enslaved. All my life I had lived with Contollers. Our carekeeper- Nissex 889- was a Hork-Bajir Controller in charge of watching my brother and I. What about his host?  
I was confused. Was I a human or a Yeerk? Was I the slave or the captor?  
The screams only got louder as I continued down. I stopped at the stair and stared.  
The last time I had been in a Yeerk Pool was-  
My trial. When I had been tried for treason. But that hadn't been like this. It had been on the Visser's Blade ship, in his own private room. That was where the Council had ruled me guilty in treason, and condemned me to death.  
Someone brushed past me as I stared around the pool, but I ignored him. How had I missed the cages before? Why was it bothering me now?  
The humans were less than the Yeerks, so how was their treatment of them any worse than the humans' treatment of, say, a cow?  
Or were they both wrong?  
I still had so many doubts, so many questions. If only the Arn still lived! I longed to ask them about what I was made of- I had never gotten my chance, and no one else had any idea.   
"Help me!"  
It was a little girl. I didn't know her, but she was younger than Kelly. A man was dragging her to the Pool, and I watched as he shoved her head down and-   
She stopped her struggling.  
Before I could do anything, before I could make any decisions, that's when it happened.  
The Andalites decided to attack.  
  
  
Not a very important chapter, but it leads up to the big stuff. I need more reviews- do you think Alanna is realistic here?  
Thanks to all those who have reviewed. ladyghanima1522- yikes! Do I have that bad a mouth? Maybe I'll try to cut back. And about her feelings to the Yeerks- heehee, you'll have to wait and see. Anigurl88- I have read all the Tortall books and I love them all. And Momo Claus- yes that is where I got the name. 


	10. Chapter Ten- Jake

Screams! Everywhere!  
RRROOOAAARRRR!  
I roared and the sound echoed throughout the Pool. Instantly all eyes were on me, eyes full of fear and alarm, and from the cages, eyes full of hope and excitement.  
Was my brother among them? No, he was upstairs with my parents. I leaped, taking a chunk out of a Hork Bajir guard before he could even think about reacting.   
I was filled with a deep fury that almost scared me. Most of the time I was able to keep my cool, but now…  
They would never take my parents. I would die before letting that happen.  
(Yee-ha!) Rachel yelled, taking down two or three Hork Bajir with one swipe of her massive bear paw. (Let's give these bastards a lesson to remember.)  
The blood poured freely as I sliced through Controller after Controller. With every enemy down, I got a new high. Was this what Rachel felt? This incredible rush that just carried you through your enemies? Well, I had it, I felt it, and I used it. The feeling fed off my rage, becoming stronger, and I couldn't focus on everything that was happening all at once. Hork Bajir on the left! The right! Behind! Strike, strike, strike!  
Down they went, never to rise again.  
TSEEW!  
(Ahh!) I screamed as a Dracon beam brushed against my shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through my body. I staggered and a Hork Bajir blade ripped across my face. One swipe and he was down, but the blood flowed into my eyes, impairing my vision.  
(Jake!)  
(I'm okay, Cassie,) I managed to say, but it wasn't entirely true. My adrenaline rush was wearing off and my wounds and weariness were beginning to take their toll. But the enemy kept coming.  
An exceptional large Hork Bajir grabbed me from behind. I cried out as his blade cut deeply into my stomach.   
It occurred to me then that I was going to die. The blood flowed freely from the gaping hole in my stomach, and all I could do was watch in horror as the Hork Bajir raised his arm to-  
TSEEW!  
A Dracon beam sliced through him and he fell dead. I couldn't look around to see who had done it. Had it just been an accident?  
Someone had freed the people in the cages. My heart leaped as I saw them trying to fight back against their former captors. Who had freed them? One of us…  
(Ha, ha, ha!)  
The sound filled the place, and it chilled me to the bone. Blinking through the blood I stared.  
It was him. Visser Three.  
And he was laughing.  
Almost everything stopped, all at once. The Visser doesn't laugh. He just doesn't. The very sound was kind of appalling, and it felt cruel and harsh, not the way laughter should ever be.  
(So, Andalites! What a pleasant surprise. Welcome to the Sharing! Wonderful organization, isn't it?)  
He was gloating. Why the hell was the son of a bitch gloating? We were here to stop him. I glanced at Cassie in wolf form.  
(What's going on?) I asked in private thought speech.  
(I-I don't know. But I don't like it.)  
(He said something about a new warrior,) Marco said slowly. (And that's what Erek was saying, too.)  
My heart stopped. (Then he's got to be taking his new toy out to play with. Fuck- if this new monster is a powerful as everyone says…)  
I didn't have to finish my sentence.  
(Please, allow me to introduce someone to you. If you'll please give the Andalites, ah, room…)  
All around, Controllers backed up, leaving the six of us together in a circle.   
(That's not good,) Tobias said.  
Visser Three laughed again and the crowd began to part. I stared, expecting to see a great monster, something faster, more powerful than any Controller before it.  
An unbeatable fighter.  
(Oh my god,) Cassie whispered, her voice trembling.  
(Prince Jake, I am worried. This new fighter…)  
(I know Ax, I know.)   
(But we have to fight,) Rachel said.  
(Why can't we ever just talk things over, like real men?) Marco said feebly.   
But the time for talking was over, and the crowds parted to reveal-  
A seventeen year old boy.  
  
Ahhh! What's going to happen next?? You'll have to review if you want to find out! Heehee! 


	11. Chapter Eleven- Ax

AX  
I stared at the human boy with my main eyes in disbelief. This was the great warrior that had the power to beat even Elfangor? Ridiculous!  
He was about Prince Jake's height and age, with startling red hair. His lips formed a human smile as he looked at us. I cannot be sure, but I did not think it was a very nice smile by human standards. He gave us a quick bow.  
"Andalites," he said, the word rolling off his tongue with a slight sneer. "I've been looking forward to killing you for some time."  
It was utterly ridiculous! This... human? With human legs and no natural weapons? This was our new great enemy, the Yeerks' new weapon?  
This human could defeat Elfangor?  
(Uh… Jake, what do we do?)   
(I will take care of him, with Prince Jake's permission,) I volunteered. There was a small silence. I knew how my human friends disliked killing other humans.  
(Do it, Ax. We have to.)  
Cassie turned her wolf head away as I attacked suddenly, swinging my tail around to-  
SWA-  
I stared in disbelief. It was impossible! But the human stood there, the same smile on his face, and he held my tail in his clenched fist. He had stopped my tail one-handed in mid-strike.  
(Holy shit!) Rachel cried.  
(Oh my god! Did you see that?)  
(Who is he?)  
The human leaned towards me, his smile growing. "Surprise, Andalite."   
I didn't see his hand coming, but I felt it connect with my head, a blow no Hark Bajir, must less a human could have delivered. I staggered before my front legs buckled and collapsed beneath me.  
(Ax!) I heard Tobias cry, followed by his familiar hawk cry. Down he went for the human, who tossed him away with he was a feather.   
(Tobias!) Rachel screamed, lunging forward, and the real battle began.   
There were six of us. Six of us versus one of him. And he just laughed as he tossed us back, his own bare hands greater than any weapon I have ever seen.   
My tail slid through his careful guard, leaving a long, bloody scar along the side of his face.  
"Ahh!" he yelled pulling back, and he grabbed my tail and twisted it around. I screamed in agony and when he let go, I could no longer feel my tail at all. I stared in horror at him as the scar I had given him suddenly closed up and healed instantly.  
"I'm tired of games, Andalites," he said, drawing himself up, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Say good-bye."  
I saw the face of death itself staring at me, and I felt a mortal fear that have never felt before.  
(This is it,) Cassie whispered. (Oh, god, please let it be quick.)  
He smiled again then and laughed a deep, horrible laugh.   
"I don't give a fuck how big and tough you are, little brother, let's see you heal a Dracon beam to the head at full power."  
The human's eyes grew wide in shock and everything seemed to stop. I gasped for breath as I stared at the scene before me.  
Another human girl stood next to the human, holding a Dracon beam against his forehead. It took me a second to recognize her.  
It was Alanna.  
  
  
Not very long, I know, but what do you think? All shall be revealed soon! Just keep reviewing! 


	12. Chapter Twelve- Alanna

ALANNA  
I stared at him.  
It's always disorienting looking at my brother. Like looking at your reflection through one of those mirrors in a funhouse. It looks like you, yes, but not quite.  
"Alissan," he hissed as he stared back, "I told you never to call me that."  
I laughed, a sharp sound that sounded bitter even to my ears. It filled the utter silence of the cavern completely and I shuddered slightly. He didn't even seem surprised that I was still alive- all he cared about was being the strong one. I always called him that and it was true- he was two minutes younger than me.   
"Oh, come now, little brother," I said loudly so that everyone could hear- yes even him. The Visser. "Aren't you glad to see me?"  
His face twisted in anger and I was thankful for the weapon between us.  
(Alissan 337? Impossible! I killed you!)  
I didn't bother turning around. My face twisted into a sneer, I could feel it. My hand shook as I held the Dracon beam. "It takes more than a little fall out of a Blade Ship to get rid of me." I smiled grimly. "Give us five minutes, Visser. Me and my brother alone. Or shall I just kill him here?"  
Alexxen's eyes went wide. "You wouldn't."  
"Trust me."  
I stole a glance at the Visser. His face was full of rage and mixed feelings. But I knew he wouldn't risk his precious little warrior for anything. Not after he saw what Alexxen could do with a handful of morphed Andalites. He hadn't even broken a sweat.  
(What do you want?) he asked finally.  
"Just privacy. Don't worry, I'll be gentle with him," I said with a leer to my brother. I led him out of the ring of Andalites, the Dracon beam firmly pressed against the back of his head. He walked slowly out of the Pool and up the stairs.  
"Hurry up," I snapped and we ran up and slid into an empty room.   
"Damn it, Alissan, why aren't you dead?" he asked as I closed the door behind me. "And what the hell are you doing back here?"  
I lowered the weapon. My arm was getting tired. "I don't know, I don't know! Look, we have like eight minutes."  
"Before what?" he asked, giving me a look. I grinned mischievously. "Oh, you didn't! You did! Shit!"  
I laughed. "You don't want to be down there when it happens. Trust me."  
Alexxen looked deeply at me. "Why did you do it, Al? I still don't understand."  
I glared at him. It was no time to talk about that. "You know why."  
"Al-"  
I just shook my head. "You had it better. You could handle it. Me, well, turns out I don't heal instantly, and I've got a low threshold for pain." My hand went up to small scar behind my ear. It was still there, after all these years, and it wasn't going to go away, ever.  
Alexxen looked down. "You're nuts, you know that?"  
I stared at my brother. I hated him, but I could never really truly. Oh, yes, I was jealous, so jealous. I would have given anything to switch places with him- but that could never happen. We were two of a kind, two freaks in a galaxy of normal species. We were a lot alike, too, in ways no outside person would understand.  
No, it wasn't him I hated, loathed. For my brother had never tortured me, tested what I could take to try to make me strong, and then disgusted when I was weak, just did it for kicks.  
No, that was the Visser.  
He had tortured both of us, every since we were young enough to stand. My brother grew stronger from it- he fed off his own pain and 'took it like a man' so to say. I wasn't the strong one, I couldn't heal my wounds like he could.   
So when the Visser had captured an Andalite and kept him to bring him before the Council, I had been curious. And I had talked to him, that Andalite, and he talked back. He was the only one who listened to me, and he had brought my own hatred into actually feelings. And when I had freed him from his cage, and when I was caught, I was tortured like never before, and brought to the Council myself.  
"Al, I guess I can understand why you hate him. I do too. But we are Yeerks! No matter what we look like, that's what we are inside," Alexxen pleaded with me. "Let me talk to him, and the Council, and maybe they can pardon you, and you can come back. I hate it without you. There's no one to talk to."  
"Or beat you at chess," I couldn't help but add.  
Alexxen smiled. "You're one of us, Al. Give me the Dracon beam and we can go back to before you freed that Andalite."  
"He had a name, you know," I murmured.  
"The name was what made it so bad," Alexxen said. "If it had been any other Andalite, it might not have mattered so much."  
It was true, and I knew it. Why had it been that Andalite? That one? But I don't think I would've freed any other one, either. There had been other Andalites, ones I had seen before they had taken their lives with their own tails rather than being slaves. There had been something different about that out, something understanding.   
"Elfangor."  
The name hung in the air and I shuddered, staring at me brother. Was he right? Could I come back?  
Did I really want to?   
"Maybe we are Yeerks," I said, "but we're just as much human as Yeerk, Alexxen."  
"How do you know?"  
I didn't, and he knew it. I could never lie to him. He held out his hand for the Dracon beam. "Five minutes. You can still turn it off."  
I stared at the hand and at the weapon. Five minutes. Five minutes before-  
Five minutes to make a decision that would change my life forever.  
I reached out my hand to Alexxen. He smiled at me and I-  
-walked past him and out the door.  
"Al! Don't!"  
I ignored him.  
There were Hork Bajir at the door, no doubt there to finish me off. I ignored them also.  
"Leave her alone," Alexxen cried, rushing out of the room. "Let her pass!" They moved out of my way instantly and I kept walking down the stairs.  
"Alissan! Don't do this! Please! Don't be stupid!"  
I laughed, not looking back. "Don't worry little brother! I'm a genius, remember?"  
"Alissan!"  
To understand what happened next you must know two things. One, I like explosives. Two, Yeerk Pools (the actual pool, mind you) are highly flammable. I figured out that last one the hard way.  
"Visser Three!" I drawled loudly as I came down the stairs alone, hands up in a mocking gesture. "You have four minutes and ten seconds until this entire place goes boom!"  
He stared at me blankly. (You're bluffing.)  
I laughed, and there was actual humor in this one. An improvement. "Remember last time you assumed that?"  
Throughout my life with the Yeerks, I had discovered many ways of making things go 'boom'. I got in a hell of a lot of trouble when I had blown up my first Yeerk Pool. No Yeerks had been in it, but still people whined. Because I couldn't protect myself the was Alexxen could- with his fists, I used my brains. And my explosives. I had once taken out part of the Visser's Blade Ship. It took them almost a year to fix it back up.  
From the look in his main eyes, I'd say the Visser remembered. Oh, goody.  
In the midst of the big battle with the Andalites, I had used the opportunity to set up my little bomb right next to the Pool. A bit primitive, yes, but it would work. And no one else would be able to shut it off, I made sure of that.  
(What do you want, Alissan?)  
I smiled cruelly. "Revenge. But I'm patient. I can wait, Visser. Right now I'd settle for you letting the Andalites go."  
(Never!) he cried, tail arching up dangerously. But I was much too far away this time. I knew that would bother him.  
"Then you can die with them."  
Ooh, that pissed the bastard off. I could just see the wheels turning in his small head. But I knew what the outcome would be. Visser Three only has one rule- to save himself at all costs.   
But then he smiled at me with his main eyes, and my stomach dropped suddenly. (Oh, no, Alissan 337, I won't die with them. You will! Guards!)  
The Hork Bajir from behind me grabbed me suddenly and through me into the Andalites. I slammed into the gorilla, who picked me up and set me upright.  
"Watch the hands," I managed to mutter.  
(One minute left!) the Visser cried, disappearing up the stairs. (So long, Alissan. For good!)  
And the son of a bitch was gone.  
  
  
How is it? Does it all make sense? Do you like? (I hope so!) Review, review! Thank you EVERYONE who has reviewed, and thank you twice those who have reviewed more than once! 


	13. Chapter Thirteen- Marco

MARCO  
What the hell was going on?  
Alanna- or Alissan, who she was- swore loudly. "Run, you idiots!" she screamed, waving her arms at the people around. There was instant pandemonium. These people had heard their conversation, they knew what was going on. I felt like joining them in their rush up the stairs.  
She looked at us. Damn- she was still hot. "There's not enough time for me to undo it," she hissed. "We need to go."  
(We? Why should we help you out? Who are you?) Rachel demanded.   
She gave Rachel- a full grown grizzly bear- an icy look. "We have exactly forty-two seconds, Andalites, until this whole place is nothing but a crater. And I would not advise being still here when that happens!"  
(She's got a point,) Jake said in his 'fearless leader' voice. (Marco, grab her and let's MOVE!)  
(You know, I'd always imagine me being human when I first-)  
"Thirty-five!)  
(Oops.) I grabbed her quickly. (If I may?) I said to her. Alanna just gave me a look.  
We ran like hell.  
Do you know it really sucks to go up stair when your in a hurry? And they just seem to go on and on. Alanna wasn't helping. She decided to count off the seconds for us.  
If she wasn't so hot, I would've been tempted to leave her.   
The crowds were gone when we reached the top. The panicked crowds must have warned them.  
I was glad.  
And as we burst out of the Sharing building, Alanna laughed suddenly, wildly, and the world exploded. The tremor shook me of my feet and I stumbled, losing hold of Alanna. She leaped to her feet, her eyes flashing strangely. I managed to grab her and drag her off to the safety of the forest. And only when we were far away from the building did we look back, and I saw the flames climb high into the sky, illuminating the night with a ghostly light.  
(That's going to be a blow to the Yeerks,) Rachel said happily. (Burn, slugs!)  
(But what if some of the humans didn't get out in time?) Cassie said, distressed. I shuddered. There were people I knew in there. Jake's parents, his brother.  
And under different circumstances, it could've been my mother.  
(Yes, but we were successful in preventing the Yeerks from making all those humans Controllers,) Ax said.  
(What about that… guy? Did he escape?) Tobias asked.  
This time we all shuddered. The memory of his power, his skill… the way he almost killed all of us, without a second's thought. What was he? The only clues we had were from Erek and the Visser. He was some kind of new weapon.   
Could they make a whole army of these thing? If they could, we were better than dead.  
(I think it's time to ask our friend some questions,) I said, glancing at Alanna. She stood away from us, watching the flames rise into the sky. Had she done it somehow? That's what Visser Three had thought. Who was she?  
(Hey! Alissan 3-whatever!) Rachel snapped. Alanna's head snapped around. (I think it's time you told us who you are.)  
She smiled, but it wasn't like her regular smile. This was a knowing smile, a smug smile, the kind that said 'I'm better than you and I know it'. Apparently I didn't know Alanna that well after all.  
(I don't think I'm gonna ask her out anymore,) I said privately.  
"You have no right to call me by that name. That name is dead. And that person died years ago." She peered at each one of us. "And as for your question, shouldn't you be asking 'what am I'?"  
(You're obviously a Controller,) Jake said. Alanna laughed at him.   
"Never!" she sneered.   
(You have a Yeerk name,) Ax said coldly.  
She gave him a look. She gave a lot of those. "Did you not her me, Andalite? That name is no more. I carry a human name now."  
(Don't dodge the question,) Tobias said, more sternly than I expected out of him. (What are you?)  
"You're learning. Good. But first tell me what you are. 'Andalites'."  
My heart stopped. She knew! She knew we weren't Andalites! Damn it, how could she possibly know that?  
(Play along!) Jake snapped to us. (Play dumb!)  
(We are all highly trained Andalite warriors,) Ax said.  
Alanna laughed again, shaking her head. "You are the only Andalite here, and you are no warrior. Not yet. You're much too young. And as for the rest of you, if you're Andalites, then I'm a horse's ass.  
"One, you never are Andalites when you fight. Andalites are incredibly arrogant- there's no way they would think any other form but their own is the best to fight in. Two, only he," she pointed to Ax, "talks with the fine Visser," her voice dripped with sarcasm, "and of course, like a good girl I've read all the fatality reports, and I find it utterly fascinating that fatality among humans is the lowest, especially with these bodies." She smiled mockingly. "I think I know what you are. What do you think I am?"  
(No idea in hell,) I said privately. No one laughed. It wasn't really the best time for giggling, I guess.  
(You called… that one creature your brother,) Ax said suddenly. Alanna smiled brilliantly at him.  
"That creature's name is Alexxen. Get used to that name, it'll be the sound of your doom if you're not careful. And you don't stand a chance of defeating him without my help." Alanna suddenly became intently focused, like her other conversation had just been leading up to this.  
(You? Help us? You seem very close to the Yeerk world, whatever you are,) Rachel said.  
"And you can call me Alanna," she said, catching me off with her quick randomness. "And that's why I'd be such a big help."  
(What do you want in return?) Cassie asked- of course. She could see right through Alanna and I was relieved because she was totally boggling my mind.  
Looking back at the still rising flames, Alanna said, "I want to kill Visser Three."  
  
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	14. Chapter Fourteen- Rachel

I liked the sound of that.  
(She seems all right to me,) I said brightly, so Alanna couldn't hear. She was leaning against a tree, arms folded across her chest, glancing back at the flames. I guessed the fire department must have arrived, because they were already dying down.  
(I don't trust her,) Ax said. (What is her connection with Visser Three? Why does she know so much about the Yeerks?)  
(Ax-man's right,) Tobias interjected. (Who is she? What is she?)  
Alanna cleared her throat loudly. "Well, as fun as it is watching you talk about me behind my back, so to say, it's late, and I have a curfew."  
(Oh, so do we,) Cassie said, sounding abashed. (Jake's parents are probably wondering where we are, and besides- my car's at Jake's house.)  
(Can we trust her at all, Cassie?) Jake asked.  
(I believe she wants to kill Visser Three. And I think we can trust her to stick by the goal.)  
(Alright then.) To Alanna he said, (Meet us here, at this spot, tomorrow at three o'clock your time.) Even though it was kind of pointless, I could tell Jake was still trying to make us sound like Andalites.  
Alanna laughed at him. "I'll do my best, but I can't promise anything. I'm probably grounded." She bounded off into the night, back towards the dying flames.  
(Jake…?) Tobias said.  
(Yeah. Keep an eye an her, Tobias. But make sure she doesn't know you're there!)   
(Be careful,) I added silently to him as I watched him take wing.  
(Don't worry, I will.)  
I tried not to worry, but I couldn't help it. What if Alanna did catch him? Would she do anything to him? I demorphed and sighed deeply as I reemerged completely human. That had to be close to the two-hour limit, and I was exhausted not only from morphing, but from the battle.  
"We need to meet in the barn tomorrow before we meet with her, to discuss things," Jake said in human form. "Marco, can you contact Erek? I want him to be there too."  
Marco gave him a mock salute. "Aye aye, captain."  
Jake gave him a look and he and Cassie hurried off in the direction Alanna had gone, hoping to catch Jake's parents. Ax turned, after saying good-bye, and ran off in the opposite direction, to his scoop.  
It was just me and Marco.  
"So." he said with a sly grin. "Just the two of us, underneath the bright stars. Do I smell love in the air?"  
"Maybe you farted," I said.  
His grin faded. "I really liked her too."  
"Alanna?"  
"Yeah. Why is it that all the good looking girls are crazy?" he asked, giving me a obvious glance.  
'Marco, just go away. I'm tired and I just learned that one of my closest friends isn't who I thought she was. I'm not in the mood to deal with your shit right now."  
"How do you think I feel?" he demanded. "Man, this is just messed up."  
"You can say that again." I elbowed him in the stomach as his mouth opened up.  
"Ow! Hey!"  
I laughed as I began to morph again, this time to an owl. Thank goodness it was Friday. My mom would have killed me if I had come home late another school night.  
It was a perfect night. It really was romantic, and I was sad that Tobias was busy watching some other girl. It would've been nice to talk, or go flying even. Well, it wasn't like he was enjoying watching Alanna, I told myself. Not at all.  
"Honey! It's about time you got home," Mom said as I entered the kitchen, fully clothed. I had finally gotten smart and stashed some out in the garage for days like these. "Sara's already in bed, and I'm trying to get Jordan to follow her lead."  
"Working late again?" I asked. Mom made a face.   
"It's just this big case…"  
"Yeah," I said. "I'll try to get Jordan to go to bed." My mom had been much more lenient about letting me stay out late now that I was in high school, and I was relived. I knew it probably had nothing to with me, though. She was probably just too busy to worry anymore.   
"Aren't you tired?" I asked Jordan, knocking on the door to her room. She was on the phone and she waved me away. I made a face at her. Ever since she had entered middle school she had suddenly become part of the 'in' crowd and now longer had time to deal with her older, stranger, sister.   
I fell upon my bed, but sleep wouldn't come. Doubts crept into my mind, the way the always did only at night. I rolled over on my stomach. Could we really trust Alanna? Or were we still assuming she was like the old Alanna, my friend? She had never been so arrogant, so cold, so-  
So much like me?  
No, I wasn't like that. Was I?  
I rolled over to my other side. She had to be a Controller. It was the only explanation, despite all the questions around it. Why deny it so much? How was she related to… what did she call him? Alexxen? I shuddered at the thought and closed my eyes. All that power, all that strength- trying to destroy me.  
They were twins- at least, their hosts were. That had been easy to see. The resemblance had been strikingly so. But how had he been able to-  
I hate wondering about things. I hate it. I hate thinking, debating, contemplating about the enemy. That was for Marco, for Cassie, for Jake to do. Me, I just wanted to find out how to kill the enemy. In the long run, that was really all you needed to know.  
Wasn't it?  
  
  
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	15. Chapter Fifteen- Cassie

CASSIE  
I concentrated in giving the animals their meds as the others sat around waiting for Erek to show up. This whole situation was bothering me, all of it.  
Jake trusted me to be able to read people, I knew that. That was the way it always was. But for some reason, I was getting a mental block with Alanna.  
She had been my friend. Was she still my friend? This morning I had had the sudden, strange urge to call her and see if she wanted to do anything tonight. There had actually been a second where I had forgotten who she was, who I was.  
Had her being friends with us been just some kind of sick amusement for her?  
"Cassie?"  
"Hmm?" I said, jerking up my head as I realized that Jake was talking to me. He looked concerned.   
"What do you think about all this? You're more quiet than usual."  
I forced a smile. He had no way of knowing all the doubts and questions I was having. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe when we talk to her today I'll get a better idea of what's going on in her head."  
Yeah, that sounded like I knew what I was talking about.  
(Erek's here,) Tobias announced from his usual perch. (In one, two, three-)  
"Hello, everyone," Erek said, walking into the barn.  
"Wow, Erek, what a surprise!" Marco said. "Have I ever told you how happy I am when you come to visit us, O Bearer of Bad News?"  
"Actually, I think you have," Erek said tolerantly. I watched his hologram face carefully. Something was up.   
"What's up, Erek?" Rachel asked.  
"I know what he is."  
That got everyone's attention. I turned away from the animals fully, and even Marco was silent. Erek was not smiling.   
"You might want to sit down for this," he said. He took a deep breath. "His name is Alexxen 337, but he's not a Controller. He's a genetically engineered fighting 'machine' you could call him, created by the Arn before they were all destroyed."  
"That's not good," Marco said after a long pause, speaking for all of us.  
"What can he do? Can he be killed?" Rachel demanded.  
Erek shrugged. "That's all I know. I don't know exactly how powerful he is."  
"What about Alanna?" I asked. "How is she related to all this?"  
"No idea," he said apologetically. "Nobody knows anything about her. Although… I overheard something…"  
(What?) Tobias asked.  
"I think she's supposed to be dead."  
"The Visser did seem very surprised to see her," I admitted. "And I think he did say something about her being still alive…"  
"That still doesn't explain who she is, and if she's on our side or not," Jake pointed out.   
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Marco said. "She does seem to hate Visser Three."  
"I actually agree with Shorty on this one," Rachel said. Marco made an indignant noise, which she ignored. "I say we work together with her. She seems to know a lot of good information we can use."  
(But she could also be trying to trick us,) Ax added.  
(She helped save us yesterday. Why save us just to defeat us, Ax-man?) Tobias interjected.  
"Actually, I'm kind of with Ax," Jake said. "We have to be wary around her. I'm still not sure we can trust her."  
I kept out of the debate. I needed to see her again, talk to her again as a human in order to form my opinion. I wanted to see her as a friend, and see if I could notice things about her that I had overlooked before, when I had thought she was just a normal human.  
"She's just a human," Rachel pointed out. "Or at least in a human body. We can handle-"  
"Yeah, well, Alexxen looks human, too, and we took care of him, didn't we?" Marco snapped.  
"And she would have to do is tell Visser Three anything we told her to betray us," I said slowly. "But I don't think she'll do that."  
"I wish I could be sure," Marco said.  
"We have to meet with her today, if she comes," Jake said. He looked at me. "She might run scared."  
I shook my head. "I… don't think so." But I wasn't sure. How could I be? "We should probably wait to see what's on her mind before we make any decisions about her."   
  
  
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	16. Chapter Sixteen- Alanna

I was running late.  
On purpose, of course. I had figured out that seven minutes late is the perfect 'fashionably late' time. Five minutes isn't long enough, and after ten people get cranky. I didn't bother to hide my Dracon beam- the hawk would've been able to spot it anyway.   
They wouldn't double cross me. At least, not yet. Not until they had figured me out, and I wasn't about to let that happen.   
Besides, I look human, and humans tend to believe their eyes. Oh, and they were human, alright. In everything they said, or didn't say, I knew they were human. If the Visser ever found out, I wanted to be there to see the look on his face.  
It promised to be great.  
I had to walk, of course, to get the meeting site. I hummed Phantom of the Opera (I'm sorry, I sorry! So I like Broadway music- sue me!) as I walked. I saw a bird take flight and I smiled grimly to myself. The same hawk I had seen yesterday, spying on me, the same hawk I had seen in the Yeerk Pool.   
Come, come, humans. You can do a little better than that!  
"I'm here," I announced loudly, strutting into the clearing. They were all in the same morphs as the day before. Were there only six of them? That seemed likely and if it was true, they needed all the help they could get.  
(What do you want from us?) the tiger asked. He was in charge, obviously, though not in the usual Andalite way, which called for almost total submission to superiors. No, this relationship was far more relaxed, and it had to be. Guerrilla warfare is different from pure fighting.  
"I told you yesterday, your help killing the Visser," I said loudly, in a bored tone.   
(We've been trying to kill him for a while,) the gorilla said. (He's kind of hard to get rid of.)  
Oh, could he sound more human?  
"You didn't have me then," I said. "Here's my proposition. I can get you onto the Visser's Blade Ship, but I can't get close enough to kill him. He knows me, and now that he knows I'm still alive, well, it'll be harder. That's where you come in. Do your big bad ass whooping thing, and rid the world of that son of a bitch."  
(Don't you want to kill him?) the bear asked.  
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not sentimental. It doesn't matter the manner of someone's death- when you're dead, you're dead. Seeking personal revenge is an Andalite- or human- trait. I don't really care who kills him, as long as he's rotting in hell."  
(I will kill him,) the young Andalite said, glaring at me with his two main eyes. Of course. I had just dissed his whole way of life. (I do have a personal vengeance. He killed my brother.)  
"He's killed a lot of people."  
(What did he do to you?) the wolf asked.  
Oh, yes, let's analyze this new 'friend'. Get inside her head. I didn't think so. I just smiled. "He ruined my favorite pair of socks."  
They all just stared.  
(What about Alexxen 337?) the tiger asked. (How do we deal with him, if he's on the Blade Ship?)  
"I can deal with him," I said, giving him a look. They knew about him. They must have somebody giving them information, because they knew all about Alexxen now. It was obvious from the way the said his name- no longer with fear and confusion, but now with fear and understanding.   
But they didn't know about me yet.  
(How?) the hawk asked. (Are you… like him?)  
I laughed at them, loudly, mockingly. "That's for me to know and you to find out."  
(I hate it when people say that,) the gorilla whined.  
I kept smiling.  
My head almost did a little jerk thing, which would have given me away.  
I knew that voice. I knew that tone, that joking, whining one. And inside my head, it all came together all at once. I knew all these 'voices'. Thought-speech 'voice' sounds like your regular voice if your original body has a mouth to talk with.  
I just kept smiling, but inside I felt anger.  
Who the hell did they think they were? They knew who I was, of course, and now they were trying to pull one over me, trying to keep secrets.  
They didn't know who I was. But I knew who they were.  
Damn it!  
(How can you get us in the Blade Ship?) the wolf asked. I recognized it now, now that I was listening for it, and I cursed myself mentally for missing it before.  
"Trust me," I said, my voice like ice. I smiled grimly at her. Let her wonder about this smile. Let her ponder over it's meaning.  
She wouldn't figure it out. Not even she would be able to.  
"Give me a week," I said. "One week, and I'll give you your ticket onto the Visser's Blade Ship. I'll be able to keep Alexxen out of the way."  
(Seems like we'll have to put a lot of trust in you,) the Andalite said suspiciously.  
"I can give you the Visser. The question is, how willing are you to get him?" I asked. My question hung in the air and I turned to leave. "I'll meet you here next Saturday, same time. It's up to you whether you show up or not."  
And I kept walking. The upper hand was mine now. I had taken out their big advantage- that they knew more about me than I knew about them. It was their move on the chessboard, but all I had to do was play my part just right at school, and they would make the move I wanted them to.  
And then it would be my turn.  
  
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	17. Chapter Seventeen- Rachel

RACHEL  
Mondays, like Visser Three, are evil.  
They just are.  
I climbed out of bed Monday morning feeling like I had just crawled into it. My head was swarming with bad dreams, all of which seemed to linger with me as I went downstairs for breakfast.  
Mom was still working on her big case and didn't even hear me come down. I sighed and put a pop tart in the toaster.  
"Oh, hi, honey! Listen, can you take your sisters to school today? I'm running late- thanks."  
I stared at her in disbelief. She didn't even wait for me to say yes.  
I was relieved when I finally got out of the stupid house. I patted my car affectionately as I grabbed my keys. "Let's get out of here before Mom blows a casket," I said to my sisters. "Get in the back." Jordan ignored my request and sat up front, looking at herself in the mirror. I glared at her until she quietly got up and moved into the back with Sara. I put the key in and cranked up the volume on the radio. Mom ran outside, screaming at me to turn it down, but I pretended like I couldn't hear her.  
"Rach!"  
I jerked my head up. I had just walked into the building and- Wait that wasn't Cassie, running to say hello. It was-  
"Hey Alanna."  
She grinned at me. Where was Cassie? I didn't feel like I could deal with Alanna alone right now, not after what I knew about her. My only comfort was that she didn't know that I was one of the 'Andalites'.  
Did she?  
Don't be stupid. Of course she didn't.  
"Damn, you look tired," Alanna was saying.  
"I had a bad weekend."  
"You should have called me. I was bored out of my skull."  
Really.  
I just shrugged, and Alanna gave me a look. "You okay, Rachel? You look like someone shot your dog."  
"I don't have a dog."  
"It's an expression."  
"I know. It's a dumb one."  
"Ouch." Alanna clucked her tongue at me. "You must have had a really bad weekend."  
I just nodded, still scanning the crowds for Cassie. Where was she?  
"Do you think I should ask Marco to the dance?"  
I almost fell over. What?!?  
She frowned. "Well, that is, if you're not interested in him or anything…"  
"Ug! No, I'm not interested in Marco! I've got a- friend."   
"Tobias."  
It was my turn to give her a strange look. How…  
Alanna shrugged. "Come on Rach. It was so obvious at the mall. At least, he's totally into you."  
I couldn't stop the smug smile. It just came, really. "Well, maybe…"  
She elbowed me in the ribs gently and I felt my face get hot. Stupid! I was blushing. This was so strange. She was acting so normal.  
And it was probably just an act. That thought brought me back down to earth. She still might betray us to Visser Three. That was the Yeerk's biggest weapon- they always acted normal.  
"I thought you didn't like Marco," I said.  
"He's kind of cute," Alanna said with a vague shrug. "So, do you think I should?"  
"It's up to you," I said.  
"You're a lot a help. Where's Cassie when you need her? She's the one who can practically read minds."  
If only she could read yours, I thought. I regarded her now in a new light. This was someone who very smart, and possibly very dangerous. I had to keep my guard up.  
"Relax, Rachel," Alanna said, still smiling at me. "You seem tense." She turned to go to class.  
"What did you do this weekend?" I said before she could go. I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to hear her lie. I wanted to hear her tell an outright lie with a smile on her face. Then I would know for sure that she was conning me, if I could just hear her lie to me.  
"Me? I went to a Sharing meeting." Her eyes lit up. "Didn't you read the papers? I was there the night of that big fire."  
BRRRIIINNNGGG!!  
"Fuck, I'm late!" she cried, and ran off.  
I felt sick. So she didn't lie after all. But that didn't mean anything- we still couldn't trust her, could we?  
I ran into Cassie during lunch and told her what had happened.  
"Yeah," Cassie said. "I talked to her during third period. It was weird. I mean, I know she could be a Controller, but she feels like our friend still."  
"Do you trust her?" I asked.  
Cassie thought about it for a second.  
"Ow! Son of a- hello Mr. Chapman."  
Mr. Chapman glared at Alanna, who had tripped on the stairs. Alanna smiled disarmingly at him.  
Cassie and I looked at each other. "Yeah, actually. I think I do." 


	18. Chapter Eighteen- Alanna

It was one hell of a long week.  
The Kesals were starting to think there was something wrong with me. Well, there probably was, but not anything they would be able to guess. Mrs. Kesal even tried to sit me down and have a 'talk' with me. Okay, I'm seventeen years old- I think I know what sex is.  
"Where are you going, Alanna?" Mrs. Kesal asked me suspiciously on Saturday.   
"I'm going to a wild party to drink and sleep with random married men at three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon," I said.  
That woman cannot take a joke. She wouldn't let me take the car and I had to walk to the fucking woods. Can you believe that? Did that constitute as child abuse?  
I could've always called Cassie for a ride…  
I laughed at my own wit. Somebody gave me a strange look and walked on the other side of the road. I ignored them.  
I had it in my pocket. It fit just right, and I kept running my fingers over it, a bit nervously. This was a big step. There would be no going back after this…  
But then, what would I want to go back for?  
I could just see the look on the Council's face. They all thought of me like some failed experiment- well drat, throw it out and let's try again.  
I don't get thrown out that easily.   
(You're late,) the Andalite said bitterly when I walked into the clearing. He must've got overridden when it came to deciding whether or not to show up.  
"Hardly. It's impossible to be late for your own party. And this-" I grinned wolfishly at my 'friends', "is definitely my party."  
(We have decided to trust you, for now,) the tiger- Jake- said. (But take one step out of line…) He let the threat hang in the air.  
But it was an empty threat. If I double crossed them while they were on board the Visser's Blade ship, they were as good as dead.  
Better, if my brother had anything to say about it.  
(How are you going to get us on the Blade Ship?) Cassie asked me.  
Right down to business. Why? Don't you trust your old friend Alanna, Cassie? Yes, your plain, honest friend, the one who seemed just oh-so-human the past week. She can't be bad, can she?  
Trust your gut, Cassie. Your head will tell you nothing.  
"You'll have to morph something small and… hide on me." Ew, that didn't sound right. "I can take you to the ship."  
(How do you expect to get on the ship?) Rachel said skeptically. (Visser Three knows who you are.)  
"Yeah, but no one else does."  
(Wouldn't he have told his guards to be on the lookout for you?) the hawk asked. Tobias- Rachel's Tobias. Pity about that- he had been kind of cute.  
EEW! Did I really have that thought?  
Luckily I managed to keep my look of utter distaste hidden. "No. They didn't want-" I stopped myself for a split second. How much could I tell them? "Anyone to know about me," I finished so quickly that no one would notice my hesitation.  
(Who's 'they'? And who are you, even?) Marco asked. He had been uncharacteristically quiet. Oh, man! Rachel had probably told him what I had said…  
"I'm nobody,' I said coldly, my patience finally leaving me. "That's all I've ever been. Come now, humans, make your choice. This is the point of no return- are you in or out?"  
Immediately Phantom of the Opera popped into my head and I began to hum. 


	19. Chapter Nineteen- Tobias

TOBIAS  
No one spoke for a long time, and the only sound was Alanna humming something I wasn't sure I recognized.  
(It's time for a final vote, I guess,) Jake said, breaking the silence. (So guys, do we do this?)  
(Let's do it,) Rachel said at once.  
(I don't think-)  
(Everyone votes, Ax.)  
(Then I think that there are too many risks involved in trusting her. I- I believe your judgement may perhaps be clouded because you know her as a human.)  
(That's ridiculous, Ax,) Rachel said haughtily. (We deal with Controllers every day.)  
He shrugged, a human gesture. (Just a thought. But that is still my vote.)  
(I'm with Ax,) I said before I could stop myself. Sure, Alanna was pretty, but I couldn't bring myself to trust her. She knew too much about us, and we knew nothing about her. I had followed her for the past week and she saw me every time, I know it. She laughed at me, she mocked me, letting me watch her for a while and then-   
I wondered if she knew Taylor. Had they ever tortured Andalites together? Two pretty girls, giggling as their victim begs for mercy…  
I shuddered. Ax was probably right- the others were too close to this to see straight. They had been close friends with her for what? Two, three months?  
It's hard to turn your back on someone who's been a close friend. It's hard to imagine someone you think you know doing things that…  
I found myself looking at Rachel, thinking about the past battles, the recklessness.  
(I- I think we can trust her,) Cassie said. (She really does seem to hate Visser Three and I think she will follow by her word.)  
(But what about after we kill the Visser? How are we supposed to get off the Blade Ship?)  
That came, surprisingly, from Marco. I wouldn't have thought he would've doubted the girl he almost dated.  
Not to mention the girl who asked him to a dance.  
(Just a thought,) he said innocently as we all stared at him. (Sure she may help us kill Visser Three, but will she help us escape?)  
It was not a good thought, and I was glad of my decision. If Marco was on our side, and Jake wouldn't allow a tie vote and we could all just turn our backs and-  
(I say we go for it,) he added, totally blowing my little image of me and Rachel alone, safe and sound.  
(You sure, Marco?) Jake asked.  
(Dude, if she can give us that son a bitch…)  
(Okay,) Jake said to Alanna. (We'll play.)  
She smiled, cocking her head to the side. "I need you to morph something small- do you want me to close my eyes while you do it?"  
The way she said it scared me. She couldn't possibly know-  
Of course not. Of course not.  
I hoped.  
  
Come ON people, REVIEW!! This fic isn't dead yet! I need your support! Give me my motivation- review! 


	20. Chapter Twenty- Alanna

They did it on purpose.  
I resisted the urge to scratch myself. Honestly, I didn't even itch yet, but the thought of six fleas buried in my arm, sucking blood gave me the heebie jeebies.  
I tried to keep my dignity, however. I would not let them think that they had me squirming. I bit my lip, sticking my hand in my pocket... no, no, not yet. Wait until you get there.  
I knew where I was going. The first stop was close enough- the movie theaters. I smiled charmingly at the clerk. "Excuse me," I said sweetly, "but I seem to have left my purse in the theater. Do you think I could just run in a get it real quick?"  
"What? Oh, uh… sure. You might wanna check lost and found too," he said dumbly, letting me pass. I rolled my eyes. How easy would it be to go see a movie for free, huh? But I couldn't be distracted by such things now. I went straight theater six, which was marked 'now cleaning.' Perfect.  
(Where are we?)  
I almost jumped at the voice. Now they were talking? Sheesh. "Trust me," I said, loud enough for them to hear. "I know what I'm doing."  
Unless I didn't.  
The whole movie theater was just a big cover. People weren't allowed into the theater while it was being 'cleaned' unless they were, well, Controllers. Under the screen of every theater was a flight of stairs. I walked calmly into the theater and finally pulled out my 'secret weapon'.  
I snapped on the red arm band and held the Dracon beam in my other hand. Instantly people moved out of my way. I was wearing the symbol of Visser Three. I had stolen it years ago, before I was even charged with treason. It was helpful in getting into top secret places, where I could learn all kinds of information. The red band meant I served under the Visser, and no one stops someone who serves under the Visser. No one.   
It wasn't that long of a walk down the stairs. I knew the Blade Ship would be there, too. It was the day of Visser's Kadrona feeding, and he always went aboard his ship that day. I had long ago memorized his feeding schedule, his habits, if only I could go out of my way to avoid him. It wasn't hard, considering that I have a photographic memory.  
The ship was huge. My stomach dropped slightly as I looked at it, but I kept my cool, flashing my little red band everywhere and walking onto the Blade Ship.  
And then, we were in.  
"We're here," I said softly to my little passengers. "Stay on, I'll get you somewhere where you can morph again."  
(We're on the Ship?) a voice I recognized to be Marco's asked. I rolled my eyes.   
"No, we're at McDonald's," I snapped under my breath, smiling at a passing Hork Bajir. "I got hungry."  
(Get me a Big Mac.)  
I was glad they had stopped trying to convince me that they were Andalites. It had been getting old.  
Unless they were so dumb that- Oh, sad.  
I decided to start walking. No one was talking to anyone else, and it was very different from many human places I had seen. Humans are mostly social creatures. Yeerks, not so much. Everyone was going about their business, and no one really cared about what anybody else was doing as long as they stayed out of the way.  
My kind of place.  
I managed to find a small, empty storage room. Unfortunately, like all doors on the Blade Ship, you needed clearance to get through.  
"Who cares who goes into storage room?" I said to myself, blocking everyone's view of the clearance pad with my body. I popped in open, manipulated a few wires, and the door opened at once.  
"So easy."  
I went into the room and locked it from the inside. I didn't want to be interrupted. "Okay, everybody off, and demorph," I said, scratching my arm violently.  
(Hey!)  
(Ow! Damnit!)  
"Get the fuck off!" I felt like a dog with all the fleas.  
(Ok, we're off, but you have to leave for us to demorph,) Jake said importantly. I rolled my eyes.  
"Don't flatter yourselves," I said. "The last thing I want to see is a bunch of fleas turning into humans. I have enough gross images to last me a lifetime, thank you. I'm going to find Alexxen."  
(What are you going to do?) Cassie asked. I could see the little flea bodies beginning to grow and I made a face.  
"Leave it to me," I said with a smile. "You just get into those pretty battle morphs. I'll be back."  
I left them alone, making sure to make it impossible to leave or enter the room without getting me to untangle the wires.  
And I just stood there for a moment, looking around me. He would find me, just as I would find him. They say, you know, that one twin can feel how the other one is. I don't know if I believe that- there's no real proof, of course, but all I know is that he will find me, no matter where I am.  
I smiled as I began to walk away from the storage room, the Dracon beam in my hand. I kept my eyes forward as I walked slowly and then, I saw him, alone.  
"Hello, little brother," I whispered to him as I pressed the Dracon beam at his back.   
"Alissan," he said before he even looked up. Our eyes met. "I knew you would find me."  
"Of course."  
"What the hell are you doing here?"  
"If I tell you, you'll get mad," I said truthfully. We ignored anyone around us as we talked in low voices that no one could eavesdrop on without getting a beating from Alexxen.  
"Fuck."  
I smiled. "Shall we go?"  
  
Hello, hello. Sorry my latest ones have been shorter and further apart in posting but I've had some writer's block. (Yes, you guessed right.) I think I'm getting over it now though! Tell me what you think of this new chapter, please! 


	21. Chapter Twenty One- Alexxen

Why couldn't I have been an only child?  
I tried to glare at my sister. Didn't she know what the Visser would do to her if found her here? She ignored me, grabbing my arm and pulling me along. I let her push me along, despite the fact that I could barely feel her pushing her entire weight into me.   
I had to turn her in. The Visser had talked to me about it, and I knew it was the right thing to do. Turn the traitor in. She had blown up the Yeerk Pool, let the Andalites escape when I was just about to finally get rid of them and probably get a much deserved promotion. She had long ago spoiled all my great plans for having the two of us working side-by-side as a team, fighting for the greatness of the Yeerk Empire. Why didn't she understand?  
Damn it, I was doing it again. I know I'm not the smartest creature on the planet. That was Alissan's job, to do the thinking. I was just supposed to follow orders, and I couldn't even do that right.  
"What's going on?" I asked her.  
"Relax, little brother," she said, and I tensed at the nickname. She laughed at me. I hate it when she laughs at me.  
"Don't make me-"  
"Shut up, we're here," she muttered, playing with the entrance panel to a random storage room.  
"This is where they keep extra Dracon beams and crap," I said, confused. "Why are we here?"  
The door slid open and Alissan tried to push me in. I walked into the room and the door slid close behind us.  
"Ahh!" I cried, snatching the Dracon beam out of Alissan's hand and throwing it on the ground. "What the hell is wrong with you?!?" I screamed.   
It was the Andalites.   
The fucking Andalites.  
"How dare you," I growled at her as she was still recovering from the loss of her weapon. "You didn't know I could do that could you? Well I guess you're not that smart after all!"  
"Look, Alexxen, there's more to it than-"  
"You really are a traitor, aren't you?" I cried, feeling sick. My face was turning red, I could feel it. The rage was building up in me, the rage that was my power, the rage that fired up my strength. Alissan recognized the warning signs and took a step back. "I could understand it before," I said. "Maybe. I know you've always hated the Visser, and I could maybe understand your reasons. But this! The Pool! Do you know how many of our fellow Yeerks died that day?"  
"We're not Yeerks, damnit!" she yelled back, stepping closer to me. It only made me more angry. She was the only person who has never been afraid of me, afraid of what I can do, especially when I'm mad. Even Visser Three could be afraid of me when I got going. But no, never Alissan. "We don't need Kadrona rays, we aren't parasites, we aren't Yeerks!"  
"You betrayed the only family we've ever had," I hissed at her.   
"You call him family?" she hissed back, equally angry. "I will die before I let that asshole get away with what he did to me! You don't understand, you will NEVER understand!"  
"He did it to me too!" I cried. "He tested me, too!"  
"He may have tested you, but he outright tortured me! I want him to die for what he did, I want him to feel what I feel, something that you will never feel! You can't even feel pain, can you? Do you know what it's like? Especially for me!"  
"What makes you so special?" I gasped out. I clenched my fists tightly. If I didn't let loose my anger soon, I was going to explode. I wanted to wipe the floor with Andalite blood, and if Alissan didn't back down…  
"Torture is mostly psychological," she said. "It's all in your head. And I am all head, Alexxen."  
I didn't want to believe her. "You're nuts. Nuts! You're a traitor-"  
"Oh, wake up! How can I be a traitor to something I'm not part of? And you're not part of it either, no matter how many nice things they tell you. They made you, Alexxen, how easy would it be for them to decide to get rid of you, replace you with a newer, improved fighting machine? That's all you are to them, Alexxen. A machine!"  
"That's not true!" I yelled. It wasn't true. These were my people that I fought to protect. Our people that Alissan had betrayed.  
"Fine, live in your fantasy, Alexxen," she snapped. "But I look out for me, little brother. Because I have no other people. We're freaks, Alexxen, and freaks need to stick together. Let the Andalites kill the Visser."  
"Never!" I snarled, baring the door. If the Andalites wanted out, they would have to get through me.  
She grabbed my arm. I could have thrown her across the room like a rag doll, and she grabbed my arm. The fury engulfed me like a fire, but I did nothing. "Give them ten minutes," she said to me, but not in English. Not in any other language the Andalites might have known. But in our language. The one we- well, Alanna- created and taught me.  
"Ten minutes to kill the Visser, and then you can kill them any way you want, and I'll be off the ship and out of your life for good."  
"Five."  
"Give them a chance, little brother."  
I glared at her, but slowly moved out of the way. The logical part of my brain rebelled, told me to do what the Visser had told me to do, but my inner gut moved me. The Yeerks were my people, no matter what Alissan said, but she was my family, my only family, first and foremost.  
"Ten minutes," I said in our language.  
Alissan grinned her wild grin. "Go get him, Andalites," she said in English, slamming a fist on the wall.  
The door to the storage room opened up and the Andalites attacked.  
  
  
Ahh! What do you think about this new little installment? Do you like Alexxen? There might not be another chapter for a little while, but due to something far more sinister than writer's black- finals! Argh! Give me reviews, please! 


	22. Chapter Twenty Two- Jake

There wasn't time to wonder.  
There wasn't time to wonder about what Alexxen's words had meant, about who Alanna really was, about what they had said. But I didn't like it.  
I was angry at myself, and confused. Had I led us into a corner we couldn't get out of? All my decisions had been based on big assumptions. The assumption that we could trust Alanna, that she could take care of Alexxen… What would the results be if I had been wrong?  
But there was no time to wonder.   
I led the attack out of the storage room. (All right, we want to be quick!) I yelled, with a roar that echoed throughout the ship. (Rachel, Ax, find the Visser and- and we'll keep the others busy.)  
Why hadn't I wanted to say it? Find the Visser and kill him. That's what I wanted them to do. But I couldn't force myself to just announce someone's death, not even his.  
I saw Rachel and Ax slide out of the way down the hall as the first wave of Controllers came, hearing my call.   
(Jake…) Cassie said hesitantly.  
(They'll be fine,) I said, more for my benefit than for hers. (They'll get him.)  
I leaped at a nearby Hork Bajir, burying my teeth in its neck. I quickly lost sight of Ax and Rachel as I fought, fighting to keep the waves of Controllers away from the direction they had gone. There were so many of them! And now we were two people short…  
Through the haze of blood and violence I could see Alexxen, watching eagerly, like a beggar to a scrap of food. Where was Alanna? My head jerked up as a Dracon beam sliced past my shoulder. I roared in pain and frustration. (Cassie!) I yelled. (Do you see Alanna?)  
(Ah! Jake I- No, I don't.) There was a sudden note of fear in her voice. (I think she's gone.)  
Gone. Wait… wasn't she supposed to make sure we got out? Make sure Alexxen stayed in line? I fought with renewed fear and despair. Who was protecting us from Alexxen?  
My claws were out as I took out one Controller and the arm of another. My shoulder was bleeding but by now I had grown numb to the pain. All I could do was fight and hope, hope beyond belief that Rachel and Ax would find him and kill him, that they would come back in one piece, that we would all be able to get out alive.  
I've been in this war long enough to know that if something can go wrong, it will. I had gotten us into this mess. I should've called off this mission long before we were in so deep. But there was no time for regrets either. Only time to fight.  
Or die…  
And it was deep in the middle of that fight when our luck finally gave way. I heard the sharp, stinging laughter and when I saw it was coming from Alexxen, my heart stood still.  
We wouldn't be able to beat him this time.   
"It's been long enough, Andalites," he sneered. "You've had you're ten minutes of glory, now it's time to face the music."  
And he came for me.  
I knew I was going to be first from the way he looked at me. He pushed through bodies, alive and dead, with a quick, fluid motion, and I found myself face to face with an opponent I had no chance against.  
"How do you feel about dying today, Andalite?" he said. "I must admit, I admire the body you've chosen- it should be quite a fight." He paused, and his smile grew. "Albeit a short one."  
(You won't win,) I said. It was too late for silence, and besides, I wanted to get this out. (They'll kill the Visser.)  
He cracked his knuckles, and that single, small action made me shudder despite myself. "Don't be ridiculous," he said. "You're friends are probably already dead."  
(You're wrong!) I yelled, feeling my anger replace my fear. I would not die a coward. Not for anything.   
Alexxen laughed again. A flicker of- something- passed his face, but it was gone before I could catch it. "Andalite loyalty. Funny. It's almost a pity to see you go, Andalite- perhaps I could've learned something from you?" It sounded like a question, but not one I could answer. He suddenly shrugged and was back to normal. "Or perhaps it would've been fun to torture you."  
(Rot in hell,) I sneered, preparing to pounce.  
"You first," he laughed, and we sprang towards each other.  
  
  
Hey, thanks for the reviews. Finals are over (Yeah, baby!). Tell me what you think, of course, as always! 


	23. Chapter Twenty Three- Ax

We had to find him.  
My hearts were thudding with fear and anticipation. Finally, to be able to avenge my brother's death! But I could still feel my fear and doubt underneath everything. What if I couldn't do it? What if I hesitated at the wrong moment? What if he killed me instead of me killing him?  
If that happened, I knew Rachel would finish he job.  
(Okay, where is this asshole?) she asked me as we left the others to guard our way.   
(He may have heard the noise,) I pointed out reluctantly. (But if not, then perhaps in his room?)  
(And, uh, where would that be?)  
I shrugged, a very human gesture. (Probably close to the bridge.)  
(Well, this is great,) she said, using a tone of voice called sarcastic. (I just love walking around aimlessly aboard Visser Three's Blade Ship. If we run into a group of Hork Bajir that didn't hear Jake-)  
She stopped herself, and I was glad of it. I didn't want to think about what would happen if we were attacked and outnumbered.  
We didn't find him, as it turns out. He found us.  
(Well, Andalite Bandits,) he sneered, (did you get lost from the rest of your friends? What a pity. I don't know how you got onto my Blade Ship, or how you got past Alexxen, but it doesn't really matter now, does it?)  
I took a step forward, tail arched dangerously. I was just about to come up with something brave to say that would send the Visser quaking when from behind him, out of the shadows, stepped out about a dozen Hork Bajir, all with the same red band around their forearms. The mark of Visser Three.  
Stupid! Of course he wouldn't be alone, of course! This was Visser Three, who valued his own safety above all else.   
(This doesn't look good, Ax-man,) Rachel said softly. (The others are too far away by now.)  
I glared at the Visser, filled with hatred. The coward couldn't even dare to face us without his bodyguards. (What do you want to do?) I asked her as they approached us with smirking, dangerous Hork Bajir smiles.  
(You have to ask? I'll take the six of on the right, you take the six on the left.)  
I was glad it was Rachel by my side. Some of her unfailing courage seemed to come over me, and I steeled myself for the attack.  
It never came.  
TSEEW! TSEEW!  
Two of the Hork Bajir fell, and I swerved my stalk eyes to try to see who was shooting. Rachel however, seized the moment, spring forward to take out two more. It was very quickly becoming a fair fight. I lunged, my tail swinging violently fast, striking the Controllers. They fell back in alarm at the ferocity of the attack they had expected to be an easy kill.  
Visser Three watched in despair as we cut through his only line of defense. (You won't win Andalites,) he sneered. (Come out, you coward!) he yelled to the mysterious fighter.  
"Coward? I? Certainly not," a by now familiar voice said. The very familiar laughed filled the air as Alanna stepped into view. She clucked her tongue at the Visser. "I should have known you were going to cheat. Can't you just let the nice Andalites kill you? Honestly, trying to save yourself with a couple of guards. I'm almost disappointed, but then, I'm not surprised. I know you too well."  
(You let them in!) he accused, furious.  
"Oops, my bad. Was I not supposed to do that?" she shrugged. "Maybe if you didn't make it quite so easy…"  
(You should be dead,) Visser Three said. (And I'll make sure of it this time.)  
"Oh?" she said, pointing the Dracon Beam at his head. "If you want something done right, do it yourself, isn't that how it goes?" And she smiled a cruel, heartless smile, tightening her finger on the trigger.  
  
  
It's hard to write from Ax's POV! How did I do? What do you think's going to happen next? Review please! 


	24. Chapter Twenty Four- Alanna

I should have left. I stood there, staring at him, relishing in my triumph, my glory- and all I could think was that I should have left. Even if I did kill him now, they would catch me. I could've just walked away and lied to myself, lied, and pretended that everything was going to be fine, that of course the humans and the Andalite had pulled it off, had killed him.  
But I've never been able to delude myself like that. It was my curse and my gift, my intelligence. You know what they say- ignorance is bliss. I believe it.  
(Alissan, don't do this.) Visser Three said. Good. Let him beg for mercy. He was the one who taught me to have none. (You think killing me will save yourself? You'll be executed faster than even you can think. And where will your victory be then?)  
Rachel, who was in her bear morph, and the Andalite were staring at me. The Visser was talking loud enough for them to hear which was no surprise- the idea of silent thought speech was not one that he used often, if ever.  
"And what do I get if I don't kill you?" I asked with a loud laugh, trying to sound more confident than I really was. "I think the enjoyment of watching you die will be worth any execution they could plan for me." I scowled. "I'm tired of talking," I said as I tightened my grip on the weapon.  
(Use the Dracon beam to kill the Andalites, Alissan. Kill these Andalites, and I'll get the Council to overlook your crimes. You'll be absolved, and returned to the Yeerk Empire, where you belong! You may even be promoted, and be able to work with your brother.)  
Fuck! I hesitated, hesitated. Did I want that? Alexxen had, and he had wanted it so badly that I had almost wanted it with him.   
(Wouldn't that be perfect? You and him- the twins, running the Empire the way you were meant to, bringing it to greatness, crushing your enemies without a second's thought! You'd have the fear and admiration of everyone.) He looked at me, even daring to take a step towards me. (Kill them, and it's all yours.)  
He painted such a pretty picture that almost for a second, I was lost in it. My eyes flickered from Rachel and the Andalite to the Visser.   
(Alanna, he's lying!) I heard an outside voice hiss and it took me a second to recognize it as Rachel's. I stared at her and shook my head to clear it. My hand was shaking slightly and I took a deep breath.  
(Alissan!)  
(Alanna!)  
So that was the choice, was it? Alissan 337 or Alanna? Yeerk or human? Who was I?  
My eyes snapped wide open and my hand tightened on the weapon as I stopped shaking. No one told me what to do.   
Certainly not-  
I glared at my target and smiled cruelly. "Good-bye," I said with a sharp, crude sounding laugh as I pulled the trigger.  
TSWEER!  
  
  
MWHAHAHA! A cliffhanger! Who did she shoot? Sorry I haven't updated in a while- I was FINALLY able to get on the stupid internet. Well, thanks for the reviews and keep giving them to me, please! 


	25. Chapter Twenty Five- Alanna

Oh fuck.  
The Visser lay on the ground, motionless, blood coming from his Andalite head.   
I was going to be sick. Fuck!  
It wasn't supposed to feel like this! I threw the Dracon beam on the ground and stared at the body in disgust. He was definitely dead. Not even he could have been able to crawl out of the Andalite's head before I-  
Oh, it wasn't supposed to feel like this.  
I ran.   
Like some great coward, I ran away from the scene of my crime, trying to forget, knowing it was useless- the image of the body was burned forever in my mind.   
I heard the sounds of the battle before I came upon it. I froze as I turned the corner.  
Blood was on my brother's hands.  
He stood over the body of a tiger- a great, large, bloodied tiger. Jake, some small part of my brain said. Dead.  
It wasn't supposed-  
"Alissan!" he hissed, his eyes overly bright with the excitement of the battle, the kill. "What are you doing here?"  
"He's dead."  
"What the tiger? No not yet- can't you still hear his heart beating? I can- it sounds like a drum," he laughed at his own stale wit and I felt dizzy.  
"No, Visser Three."  
He face turned pale. "What? How?"  
I glared at him, my disgust turning to anger. Did he try to be this dense? Or was he really born like this? "I killed him."  
He jerked his head up, his hands closing into tight fists. "Alissan, no."  
"I KILLED HIM!" I yelled. "Can you hear that, with all your special hearing, little brother? I killed him!"  
He leaped over the tiger's body, and I recognized the look on his face. His strength grew when he was angry.   
And I didn't care.  
"I can't look the other way this time Alissan. You're as bad as an Andalite. Worse- you've betrayed the people who helped make you, helped-"  
"Oh, did I forget to thank them for that one?" I spat, watching him advance on me. Did he want to kill me? "You're a gutless worm, Alexxen. Pathetic! I owe no one anything, brother dearest, least of all these slugs!"  
His eyes flashed at the insults and we stood face to face. "I'm sorry, Alissan. It's wasn't supposed to be like this."  
I knew exactly what he meant.  
"But you're too dangerous to live." And he drew back his fist. I stared at it, knowing exactly what he was going to do. Knock me out, and then a quick snap of the neck. And it would all be over for the smart twin. Brains versus bronze? Brains just lost.  
But I wasn't ready to die yet.  
I hit him first. My fist connected with his nose. "Ow- damn it!" I yelled, clutching at my hand. He just stared at me in surprise, totally unhurt.   
"Alissan, you know I have to do this."  
"Kill me, you mean? No, I don't know that you have to do this," I sneered. "Whatever happened to blood is thicker than water?"  
His face was impassive as he held his fist away from me, but he didn't move towards me. Yet. "They are not our family," I whispered. "They never will be. Kill me, you know you can. But do you think you'll be able to look yourself in the mirror tomorrow. Remember the nightmares, Alexxen? They'll come back to haunt you, trust me."  
He flinched and I knew I had scored a point. He used to have nightmares of fighting, reenacting battles in his head at night to such a degree that it made him almost cry, almost like he was any other boy. Only I knew about the nightmares, and they had eventually left him.   
It was a low blow, and I knew it. I had no way of knowing if it was true or not. Different minds work in different ways. He had once disliked the fight- now he lived for it. Would he have any regrets over killing his sister, or would he see it as doing his part in the Yeerk Empire?  
We stared at each other for a long time, and I felt so tired, so weak, so sick. I didn't even care anymore. Kill me then! I wanted to scream. I don't care!   
Alexxen dropped his hand. "I never want to see you again," he said, and he sounded as disgusted as I felt. "You've got your revenge. Now go, human, live like them."  
His words stung, but I swallowed my pride, and turned to leave.   
I walked through the blood and horror of the battle scene, and as I did- I began to hum Phantom of the Opera.  
  
  
Well, what do you think? 


	26. Chapter Twenty Six- Rachel

It was over. He was dead.  
It felt so impossible. What seemed even more impossible was that we were all still alive. All of us.  
Even Alanna.  
She finally got her revenge. I hoped she was happy.  
We met in the barn the next day, and no one said anything. Jake's face was pale and he was staring at a spot on the floor. He had suffered the most from the last battle, but being Jake, he wouldn't say anything. Cassie sort of stroked his head softly and he didn't look up.  
"Is he really dead?"  
We all looked at Marco. His face was dark as he looked at me. "Well?"  
I swallowed hard. I didn't want to be the one to tell the story, but Ax wasn't going to. He had been withdrawn and silent ever since we saw the Visser-  
I ran a hand through my hair. I hadn't gone through the story yet, and no one had even asked. We had all been too relived to be alive, too worn out by the terror to even care.  
"Alanna killed him," I said, and my voice sounded strange. Soft- not like mine. Even gentle- definitely not like mine. "Alanna… shot him, in the head. The Yeerk- there was no way he could have survived."  
"So… it's over," Cassie whispered.  
I shook my head angrily. "It's not even close to being over," I snapped. "This was a big step- but the war isn't even close to being over. They don't have anymore morph capable Controllers, but they still have Alexxen."  
Jake took a shaky breath and Cassie looked over at him, concerned. "We-" his voice had a touch of fear in it, but he swallowed it down. "Rachel's right," he said, looking up. "The war isn't over."  
(This has to be a blow to them, though. Their one Andalite Controller? Dead? It's got to hurt them somehow, even if it's only their pride,) Tobias said, but his voice didn't sound very hopeful. I smiled up at him.  
"Tobias is right," Cassie said stubbornly. "Even though we still have Alexxen to deal with, Visser Three has been our greatest threat until now."  
"Yeah, until now," Marco sneered. "Now we've got a guy who fights like a fucking war machine to deal with. Visser Three could never do that. Alexxen is a one man Hork Bajir army."  
"But he's not unbeatable."  
We all jerked around at the new voice. I jumped to my feet, ready for a fight.   
It was Alanna.  
She stood in the entrance to the barn, her face worn and tired. Her hair was tied back messily and she looked like she hadn't gotten much sleep.  
I stared at her in shock as she laughed, but the sound lacked its usual humor. "Relax, I'm not here for a fight." She paused, cocking her head to the side. " 'Andalites.' "  
My first thought was to morph and take her down, but a steady hand from Jake caught me.   
"What are you talking-" Jake started to say.  
"Don't," she said, and her voice reflected a tiredness I had never seen from her. "Don't give me any of your shit, Jake. I know. I know."  
Jake didn't say anything, but stood there trembling.  
"How?" Marco asked, and I glared at him for blowing any chance of us convincing her otherwise. He glared back. "You really think you could fool her, Rachel?" He turned to Alanna. "How did you find out?"  
She shrugged, sitting down on a hay bale. "I listened. You sound the same in morphs, you have to realize that. You were smart to let him do the talking," she said, jerking her head to Ax, who didn't even look up.   
"How long have you known?" I asked bitterly, still tense. What was she doing here?  
"Long enough Rachel," she said with another humorless laugh. "Long enough."  
Her answer depressed me. We had thought that we had the upper hand when all along she had been deceiving us.  
"What do you want?" Jake demanded.  
"Alanna, how do we know…" Cassie started to say.  
"If you can trust me?" Alanna snapped. "Ask her," she said, glaring at me. "She knows."  
I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. I remembered the fight, and she was right. I knew she wouldn't sell us out to the Yeerks. But that didn't mean I had to trust her. "She's not… she won't help the Yeerks."  
"That's right, I kill them, don't I? Alissan the Yeerk Killer. Alissan the murderer. Alanna the-" she looked disgusted, "the human."  
  
  
  
Hey- it's not over yet!! I couldn't just let it end like that, with so many loose ends! But it MIGHT be near the end- unless you people give me some reasons to keep it going! (And by the way- I'll let you know when it's REALLY over!) 


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven- Alanna

ALANNA  
I felt like I was going to be sick. I hadn't slept at all since the Visser's death and I had the strange awareness that comes with functioning with no sleep.   
"You don't know me, so don't try to judge me," I spat, disgusted.   
"And you don't know us," Jake said coldly, being the strong leader, but I felt his weakness. I had seen it, too, and I understood him more than he knew. Pain doesn't go away once you heal- the memory stays. The mind was designed to be that way to help us. After all, we would hurt ourselves if we kept doing things that hurt. If we didn't remember that intense pain that comes from, say, a burn, we might forget, and get ourselves burnt again. But that nice, neat survival trick hinders us too, because it makes us afraid. Very afraid.  
But I couldn't say this to them. They wouldn't get it. How could they? They were only human.  
"Alanna, what do you want?" Marco asked. "You got your revenge."  
I jerked up my head angrily, glaring at him. "Oh, yes, that makes everything better, doesn't it. Revenge doesn't change the past, it never will! So get over it!" I cried, spinning around to face the Andalite. He looked up for the first time, his tail arching dangerously.  
(It was my duty to kill him! He killed my brother.)  
"Yes, well, you could even say he killed mine too. But killing the Visser won't bring him back."  
"I thought Alexxen was your brother," Cassie said gently.  
Leave it to Cassie to try to wheedle things out of me. "He is, but not-" I shook my head. Too many thoughts. Too many bickering, contradicting thoughts. I didn't need Cassie to try to be my psychiatrist- I could work it out on my own. "He is. And that's why I know that you can't beat him. Not without my help."  
(Your help?) the bird known as Tobias asked, surprised. (You want to- why?)  
I laughed. "I've always worked better on the losing team. It's just so dull when there's no challenge to it. The Yeerks want to wipe you out- and they probably will. But if they did, they'd find me anyway, wherever I would try to hide on this godforsaken planet. As long as I'm stuck here, I might as well try to fight for it."  
(We don't need your help,) the Andalite said angrily. I laughed again, and it only made him madder.  
"Do you have any idea who I am?" I asked. "I am the part of the brain in every sentient being that is full of untapped, unused potential. I am the counterpart of my brother's strength- I am the brains of the family, you could say I am the genius."  
"What?" Rachel asked.  
I gave her a look. "Don't you get it? He's the brawn, I'm the brains."  
"I hate to be the one to say it, but I think strength has a little better chance than brain power," Marco said.  
I rolled my eyes. "Your one to talk. You're a human, a ruler of this planet. You think you got that way because of your big, strong muscles? Look at your competition- tigers, wolves, all the animals you morph. But humans rule because of their brains." I sucked in a big breath of air. "And God forbid, I'm here to help make sure you don't get knocked off the food chain. I can give you more information about Alexxen, the Yeerks than you'll ever need. I just want one thing in return."  
"I knew it," Rachel snapped. "What?"  
I smiled at her, stretching my arms out disarmingly. "Give me the power to morph and let me fight."  
It was perfect. The idea- at least it was in my head. The morphing power would give me the one thing I wanted most in the world-   
The power to fight. 


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight- Marco

It was insane.  
The peak of insanity, actually. This was the most insane of the insane, and believe me, I should know.  
We all stared at Alanna. She had a sort of whimsical look on her face, like she was thinking of something. She blinked a little, coming out of it.  
"Let me get this straight," I said slowly, disbelieving. "So you're what? Like Alexxen? Genetically made or whatever?"  
She frowned at my wording but nodded.  
"And now you want to be one of us. An Animorph."  
"A what?" she said with a laugh. "Animorph. Is that what you call yourselves? Interesting. Did you come up with that?"  
"What? Yeah- how did you know?"  
She laughed again, and I tried to control an excess drool that might have dribbled down my chin. Whoa, she was hot. And she had asked me to the dance- I wondered if that-  
"And no, I don't want to become one of you," she said, looking disgusted with the idea. I took that as a 'maybe' for the dance. "I just want to be able to defend myself, and in return I will help you- give you information, tell you what I know."  
(And what do you know?) Tobias asked.  
"I grew up with the Yeerks. With my brother. For years, I made it my business to know everything that happened around there, and I became a master at it." She paused, looking up at Tobias. "You could say I know quite a few things."  
"We can't just give you the power to morph and let you run wild with it," Jake said. I nodded to myself. I knew who he was thinking about- David. The 'bad' Animorph, you could say. If Alanna had the morphing power and went crazy with it, we'd be screwed. Hell, we only managed to trap David by tricking him, and Alanna was a lot smarter than he was. Than any of us, if what she said was true.  
And I believed her.  
She glared at Jake. "You want to try to keep me under control?"  
Rachel stood up, sticking her nose in her face. Alanna leaned back, as if repulsed. "Don't flatter yourself, Alanna. We aren't going to lower ourselves to make a bargain with a Yeerk."  
Alanna's eyes flashed dangerously. "Yeerk? I'm not a Yeerk. And I'm not a human. You underestimate my brother and me. Ask your great leader, Rach," she sneered, "and he'll tell you. You can't beat Alexxen."  
We all turned to Jake. His face was pale, and Cassie reached over to comfort him. He pulled away, staring at Alanna like she was a ghost. "She's right," he whispered. "You know she is."  
I remembered the fight, the way Alexxen had just crushed Jake. And I remembered when we had tried to fight him- all of us.   
"But we can't just give you the fucking power," I said, thinking out loud. She flashed me a smile.  
"You don't trust me?"  
Don't look at her chest, you ass, that'll make you lose any- oh, what the hell. My eyes strayed slightly and she saw and laughed, crossing her hands across her chest. Rachel hit me hard.  
"Ow! Damn it, what was that for?"  
"You know!"  
"We need a vote," Jake said. "Alanna, do you think we could have a moment?"  
"Ah, a democracy. I think I know how Marco's going to vote, though." Alanna turned and left the barn.  
"You're disgusting," Rachel said as soon as she was out of earshot.   
"Can we focus?" Jake snapped. What Alanna had said had disturbed him. "What do you guys want to do?"  
There was a pause. (We stuck, and she knows it,) Tobias said. (We can't just give her the power, but she has information that could save us.)  
Jake nodded. "Let's take a vote then."  
"No way," Rachel said, shaking her head.  
(I must agree with Rachel,) Ax said. (I don't trust her.)  
I stopped myself from saying something about the Visser. "I say it's worth the risk," I said. "We've all seen Alexxen fight- she might be the only way we can beat him."  
Rachel snorted and I glared at her. "What?!?"  
(I'm kind of with Marco,) Tobias put in.  
Okay, that was two for, two against. What would Jake say? I figured that Cassie would say yes, and Jake wouldn't let a tie happen, so-  
"There might be another way," Cassie said softly.  
"What?"  
"Jake, call her in," she said simply. Jake frowned but called out for Alanna.  
"Well?" Alanna said, looking smug. She thought she knew the vote.  
"You want us to win," Cassie said. "That's why you're here, that's why you want to help. Because if we lose, you're dead too. So do this- become an Animorph. For real- fight with us, beside us. Live with Ax in the woods- it can't be safe for you out there anymore. Join us."  
  
  
  
Hey! How was this? Do you like the way this is going, or is it getting too predictable for you? I need reviews! (Please?) Thanx for them all! 


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine- Alanna

I stared at them.  
Humans, like the Hork-Bajir before them, have always been the weaker species- the victims.   
But these kittens had teeth.  
My brother's words echoed in my head. "Now go, human, live like them." Live like the humans? For the life of me, I had never seen such a species. They would fight no matter how greatly the odds were against them. Not quite the brightest creatures, mind you, but some respect has to be given to pure, dumb courage. Dumb luck often follows it, and dumb luck can save a person.  
Or even a planet.  
I was stuck on this planet. I had no way out- and anyway, where would I go? I smiled to myself grimly. This planet and these people, for all their many, many faults, were all I had.  
They all stared at me, smug with Cassie's brilliant idea. Of course. I let my head hang as if I was ashamed and caught. Like I was trapped by her words. Right… Excuse me while I gag. "Fine," I said tightly. "I'll fight with you."  
I didn't laugh, but it was hard. It was almost too easy- and perfect.   
I needed to seem vulnerable, not undefeatable. Let them think they caught me, that they had offered me a compromise from what I really wanted. That way they would think that they would be able to keep some control over me.  
Hell no!  
What was I supposed to do with the morphing power if I had it on my own? Keep morphing, keep hiding, until the Yeerks finally find me?  
I don't hide.   
I watched closely as Cassie retrieved the morphing device. Memorized the location- just in case. "All right," she breathed. "This is it." She gave to the Andalite, who glared at me, but held it out.  
(Put your palm on the corner, flat,) he said.  
I did, pretending not to see Rachel's worried/angry look, or the flash of doubt that passed between Cassie and Jake.   
A strange little shock went through me and I almost yelped. It didn't hurt, it just felt like a sort of mild vibrator maybe, only throughout my entire body.  
Weirdness.   
I shook myself of the feeling as I pulled my hand back.   
"Welcome to the Animorphs, Alanna," Marco said with a grin.   
"I guess we'll have to fight side by side now," Rachel said somewhat bitterly. Wow, contain your excitement.  
(You're one of us now,) Tobias said.  
One of them. Just another human, fighting for her world. A human named Alanna.  
Not in this lifetime. The Music of the Night wasn't over yet, and goddamn it, they hadn't seen the last of Alissan.  
Not by a long shot.  
  
  
THE END (for now…)   
  
What do you think? The ending is supposed to be like this- Alanna (excuse me, Alissan) isn't going TOTALLY human on us, don't worry. I might write a sequel if I feel inspired enough. Oh, yeah, lots and lots of reviews inspire me often hint, hint). Thank you SO much for reading this- I hope you liked it! 


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